Romance of a Failed Knight
by Astral Knight16
Summary: With Ikki and Stella graduating they can finally progress further in their relationship. What lies ahead of them? Aside from a curveball every now and again, their lives are relaxed, but still filled with lots of laughter and sweet moments.
1. Intro of a Failed Knight

Romance of a Failed Knight

Author's Note: I will apologize in advance because even though I mention the Seven Star Sword Art Festival, I will not be writing about it in the next chapter. I know I suck at writing action sequences, and I don't want to put my readers through my terrible writing. Also, as the title indicates, this story isn't about action, it's about romance. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Chivalry of a Failed Knight; characters or plot

Chapter 1: Introduction of a Failed Knight

It was the day before the Seven Star Sword Art Festival of his senior year, and the word's that Ikki's father had told him his freshman year were playing over and over in his mind. "If someone who's not supposed to be able to do anything ends up doing something, then helpless people begin to have needless confidence." Ikki went into his father's office that day in hopes that he would acknowledge him after hearing of his many victories in the recent tournament. What Ikki didn't expect was his father to acknowledge his victories and improvement, but instead of being proud, he informed his son that his success was not what he wished for. In fact it was damn near the opposite. Since his son had about one tenth the magical ability that was normal for an aspiring knight to have, his father believed that his son should always be the way he was, weak and unable to accomplish anything.

"Ikki?" A voice snapped him out of his deep thought. His attention was directed towards the origin of the voice, his crimson haired fiancé, Stella. "What's the matter Ikki?" His fiancé asked with genuine concern in her words. "Something is clearly bothering you, so please, as your fiancé tell me what is on your mind. I can't know what's bothering you unless you tell me, but I promise, whatever it is we'll get through it together." She said as she took his hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Just seeing his fiancé lightened his mood, but the concern and love that filled her words eased the trouble in his heart. It was true that of all his family the only one who truly cared for him was his younger sister. This, however, mattered little to him now. Now he had Stella, and like she told him, no matter what came their way, they would face it together. Bringing his attention back to the present Ikki faced his fiancé, a small smile pulling at his lips before his look returned to that of a somber one. Letting out a sigh he replied to Stella. "I'm sorry, it's just that I can't get my father's words out of my head. I always thought that if I could get stronger and start accomplishing things on my own, then maybe he would care about me." Though the explanation was short it brought back the countless years of loneliness and isolation he experienced because of his father. Ikki dropped his head as if in defeat. Before he could even replay what he just said in his own head he was wrapped in a warm embrace. "I know that you wanted your father to care for you. You have worked so hard to become strong and improve and because of that every accomplishment and victory you have achieved is yours and yours alone. I'm sorry that your father can't get it through his thick skull that you, despite severely lacking in magical ability, are still an amazing young man. Though you should know, even if everyone else in this world refuses to acknowledge you, even if your younger sister turns her back on you, I will always acknowledge you. No matter what happens I will always be there beside you and I will always love you."

Unable to respond verbally to what his fiancé had just told him, Ikki just held her tighter, pulling her closer into their embrace.

Still wrapped in her warm embrace, Ikki was finally able to respond to his fiancé, who just remained silent, but still held him for all he was worth. "Thank you Stella. You always know what to say to lift my spirits, although just being with you is enough to shine light onto any darkness I find surrounding me." Pulling slightly away from their embrace to face one another, but still in each other's arms, Ikki continued. "I love you too Stella, more than any words could ever hope to describe. As long as I have you I don't need any acknowledgement or outside support. You are my everything, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Her words had indeed cheered him up as intended. "Though, I do have to disagree about one thing you told me" Ikki told his fiancé in a playful tone, but not so informal so she knew that whatever he was about to say was genuine. His tone changing from its previously light heartedness to serious, so much so that it was almost concerning. He explained, "You told me that the accomplishments and victories were mine and mine alone, but that isn't entirely true. Yes, all my victories were in solo fights, so naturally I didn't have help. The only reason I won was because I got stronger, and I got stronger for a reason. However, that reason changed along the way." Hearing this, his fiancé continued to listen, but from the edge of her seat. He continued, "I know my initial reason to become stronger was to graduate, but that all changed when you came into my life. Ever since my battle with Kirihara I stopped fighting to graduate."

Pausing briefly to take a breath Ikki was about to resume his explanation when Stella cut him off as her curiosity got the better of her in the brief moment of silence. "Then what did you continue to fight for?" She asked, eager to hear his response. He lightly chuckled before answering, "It's not what I fought for, it's **WHO** I fought for. To me, that person was and still is you, Stella. Because of you I was able to continue fighting, even if I faltered, I would never give up because I had you. So to sum it up, even though on the surface I earned those victories and accomplishments on my own, the truth is that without you I would've never achieved anything I did in the time between meeting you and now.

Now it was Stella's turn to be at a loss for words. She had known she had meant a lot to her fiancé, but this was the first time she could remember him voicing it with such passion and conviction. Much like her words, his words had reached her heart.

The two locked eyes, and Stella closed the distance between them, giving him a quick peck on the lips. Looking into his fiancé's eyes, Ikki's look of absolute bliss and contentment was replaced with a devilish smirk. Stella noticed this, and didn't know whether to be concerned or scared. She should have been the latter, as before she could voice her thoughts Ikki pounced on her, pinning her down to the couch they had been sitting on. Not expecting the sudden action from her fiancé, Stella let out a surprised sharp yelp.

Not knowing what was going on or what to say, Stella only managed to speak her fiancés name. "Ikki…" Taking note of her reaction, Ikki explained, "Sorry about that, my pouncing on you out of nowhere and whatnot. It's just I can only hold myself back for so long. He then buried his head in the crook of her neck, planting kisses on her delicate flesh. "Your words… alone nearly pushed me… over the edge of my self…control, but that kiss broke the dam that holds…my love and adoration… for you." Ceasing his ministrations from her neck, Ikki brought his attention to her ear, gently nibbling it. The princess let out a quiet moan as she shivered at his act of love on top of his words.

Leaving her ear, much to her chagrin, Ikki faced his fiancé with the intention of asking if she was all right. She hadn't said anything after he had pinned her down. Before he could get the words out, Stella put on a pouty face and scolded him. "I didn't say you could stop." As she said this, a sly grin graced her lips. Before he could respond to his fiancé she yanked her hands from his now loosened grip. She then placed both of them on his cheeks and mashed their lips together, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Unlike the first kiss, this one was deep and full of passion, with perhaps a hint of lust, but they both believed that taking that final step into adulthood should wait. They wanted it now so badly, and knew they would be tempted in the future. Hell, they had almost done it in an abandoned cabin in the mountains their freshman year. Somehow they managed to keep their relationship pure and planned on keeping it that way. By waiting for marriage to take the final step into adulthood both would keep their relationship pure and show others, as well as themselves, just how serious they were about their relationship.

They stayed like that, just holding each other as they kissed, for a good seven minutes; wanting to keep their lips locked together and not wanting to let the other go. Unfortunately for them, their lungs begged to differ, as they (their lungs) cried out for life sustaining air. Finally breaking their kiss, giving in to the needs of their respiratory systems, they just sat there in each other's arms, content with their lives. They eventually fell asleep on the couch, still in each other's arms.

When Ikki woke up, the sun had set and the only light that was provided to their room was that of the moon. Ikki looked down at Stella and just admired just how beautiful she was. The soft moonlight only enhanced her natural beauty. "She looks like a sleeping angel. No, she is a sleeping angel, my sleeping angel. I'm so lucky to be with her." He thought to himself. "No Ikki, not your Ittou Shura of the night" Stella mumbled in her sleep. Ikki merely quietly laughed at this. He had found out some time ago about his fiancé's habit of talking in her sleep, mostly about him. He never judged or spoke to her about it for two reasons. First, he found this habit of hers to be absolutely adorable. Second, though he would never openly admit it, especially to Stella, he had dreams like that too; about her that is.

Deciding it wouldn't be good for either of them to sleep on the couch for fear of the possible back pain it could cause. The last thing he wanted was for Stella to not be able to perform at 100% and end up getting hurt, as a rule of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival was to use weapons in real mode, not phantom mode. He could never forgive himself if something happened to Stella because of him. He didn't care what happened to him as long as Stella was all right. Ever since he told Stella he liked her, and she returned those feelings, Stella was the center of his world. Her happiness and safety came before everything else, even his life.

Quietly getting up as to not wake her, Ikki took Stella into his arms and carried her bridal style to their bed. Yes their bed. After their freshman year, namely after he proposed to her, a single queen size bed had replaced their bunk beds. No doubt the doing of Kurono Shinguuji. She had been the one to room the two together in the first place, despite their difference in rank. He smiled to himself as he thought about when he first met her. He had walked into his room to find that she was changing, and at that moment was only dressed in her undergarments. Instead of walking out and apologizing, or even asking why she was in his room, he decided to offer to take his clothes off so they could call it even. In the short run that hadn't worked out for him. He was almost incinerated by Stella, but was spared as he explained to her that the only reason he didn't fix his gaze upon something else was because he had never seen anyone as beautiful as her. In the long run, however, offering to remove clothing was the best choice he ever made. He didn't know how their relationship would be different if he hadn't, and he didn't care to find out. He knew even if he could that he wouldn't change a thing about their meeting simply because of how happy he was with her now.

Coming back to the present, Ikki gently placed Stella on the bed, wrapping her in their blanket so she would stay warm. He gently kissed her forehead. "Goodnight my princess" He whispered. Ever so quietly, he climbed in on his side. Slowly scooting closer to her, he wrapped his left arm around her, resting it against her stomach as he pulled her closer to him. She just repositioned herself in her sleep and nestled against him. The only real difference in her position was that she took one of her hands from under her pillow and brought it to his, lacing her fingers through his. He then let out a sigh of pure contentment. He couldn't have been happier having the one person in the entire world that he loved more than life itself be peacefully sleeping beside him. With that thought in mind, Ikki gave in to the pulls of slumber, a smile on his face.

Ikki awoke to find himself in a dark room, the only source of light being a lone spotlight directly above him. He tried to stand up to look around the room, but a severe pain in his legs brought him back to the ground. He looked down and saw that it looked like he had fought off an entire army single handedly. As he continued to check himself for any other injuries or possible clues he saw that he was holding something in his left hand. He inspected the piece of crumpled paper, and gently unfolded it. What he found inside both scared and confused him. Inside the paper had been a few locks of Stella's hair. How did he know this? Aside from him knowing what her hair looked and smelled like, he knew all too well the situation he was in.

"Why the hell am I back here? I thought, correction, I know I already went through this, so why am I here now?" He wondered aloud to himself. He nearly jumped, he probably would've had he not been sitting, when a voice answered his question. "So, you're finally awake. Well, to answer your question, you lost a match, badly at that. After you lost you passed out. So forget the experience of that pleasant dream you had, this is reality."

Ikki was stuck on one thing the voice had said. "Forget the experience of the pleasant dream you had" He never said anything about a dream, nonetheless what kind, so how did this voice know? Before Ikki could question the situation further a familiar voice pierced his thoughts. His head snapped in the direction of the voice. If heads were screwed into place, his would've flown out of its socket with the speed that he turned his head. In a doorway, one that wasn't there before, there stood two figures. One was more of a silhouette with no distinguishable features, but was obviously a male from his build. The person next to him was Stella. Ikki wanted to run to her, but something was keeping him glued in place, much to his chagrin. He turned to Stella and was about to speak, but though his mouth moved, words didn't follow. It was Stella who broke the silence. She commented, "It's a real shame you lost. I guess your father was right, those who weren't meant to be able to do something shouldn't try to do anything"

The pain in Ikki's legs had been unbearable to the point he couldn't walk. The pain he experienced from his match with Kirihara was so bad that he nearly died. The words that Stella had said made those experiences seem pleasurable. Ikki stopped fighting the unknown force keeping him down and focused on keeping himself together. If he let this get to him, his very essence would break; his will, his heart, his spirit, even his soul would break to the point of no repair.

Once again Stella broke the silence, addressing Ikki reassuringly, "Don't worry about it. I know that promise we made kept you going, but you don't have to worry." Ikki looked up hopefully before Stella put the nails in his metaphorical coffin. "I've found someone who is meant to do something, and that something is being with me, so don't beat yourself up."

Ikki looked up and saw the two grasp each other's hand. They then turned and began to walk away. The pain her words had brought him seemed to numb any physical pain he was feeling. The force holding him down seemingly vanished as he got up and started running towards her. He was in a full sprint, to the best of his current ability. Though he couldn't feel the pain, it was still affecting his legs. Despite running as fast as his legs could carry him, he couldn't seem to catch up to the walking duo. In fact they got further and further away. He cried out to her, "Stella!" The distance between them continued to grow. "Stella" He begged as tears began to flow freely down his face. Once again the distance between the two increased, but this time she started fading from his vision. "Stella, please!" He begged. This time the distance didn't change. He reached out towards her, but as he did she vanished.

"Stella!" He yelled as he shot up, arm still outstretched. He looked around him and saw that he was back in his and Stella's room; he felt his heart beat at an unhealthily high rate. His body was covered in a thin, shining layer of sweat and his eyes were stained and red with a few tears still present. Stella, as well as most of the residents of that building, was forced out of slumber at the sudden out burst. She asked with severe concern in her voice, "Ikki are you alright? What happened?" Finally looking at his fiancé, Stella was able to see the state her fiancé was in.

She immediately knew what happened, but before she could speak, Ikki, through more tears of both sorrow and joy from just seeing Stella, spoke. He couldn't form a coherent sentence and only managed to squeak out a few words. "I… you… another man… not needing me" After getting those words out he lost the last sliver of composure he had left. He buried his head into her shoulder and began to sob heavily.

She didn't say a word, just pulled him closer and held him as tightly as ever in her embrace. She gently stroked his hair in a comforting manner, letting him know that it was going to be all right and that she was there for him. A half hour of getting the pain out of his system passed. Though it was a dream the pain was all too real. He would never wish that kind of pain on anyone, not even Kirihara. He rubbed Stella's back, signaling the end of their embrace.

Before Ikki could explain Stella cut him off, saying, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Just know if you do, even if it isn't right now, I will always be here to listen and comfort you." Just like earlier that day, her presence lightened his mood, but her words eased to tremendous pain in his heart.

After telling her exactly what happened in his dream, she wrapped him in another embrace and held onto him with no intention of letting go anytime soon. With tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes, she whispered to him, "I am so sorry, love. I hope you know that my heart belongs to you and you alone, and as long as my heart beats, it will beat for you, and nothing could ever change that. Though I do wish I would've been there to teach that bitch a thing or two." On top of her concern for her fiancé, she was also livid at the thought of her, even if it wasn't the real her, ever saying something like that to Ikki.

Ikki laughed at his fiancé's remark knowing that she was not only concerned for him, but also mad at the thought of what her dream self had said. "Don't worry about it. You had no control over my dream, or what that dream you said." He didn't want to say that it was her who said those things. He knew she didn't; it was a dream Stella, just a mirrored image of her. He reassured. "You know, even though I woke up with a sky rocketed heart rate at the thought of you leaving me, it still beat for you and you alone. Not even the feeling of you leaving me could ever change that, though I know you wouldn't dream about it, and after this I **REALLY** hope you don't". He continued, "All that matters to me is that you're here now, and I know you would never say anything like that to me. I don't want you mad at something that was out of your control."

Easing up from her Ikki's reassurance, Stella did as he did, and focused on what was in front of her at the moment; her one true love; the only person she needed in her life; Ikki Kurogane.

Ending their embrace, much to Stella's chagrin, Ikki suggested they return to sleep. He explained that, despite the current situation, which involved comforting him, he had one priority to keep, that being Stella's happiness and safety. Concluding that losing sleep could potentially lead to errors in battle. Stella thought of resisting, but decided against it. She knew she could convince Ikki to do almost anything, though she rarely needed to given that she was his top priority. However, when it came to her safety he would never budge, even to her. It hurt him inside to go against what she wanted, but as always put his feelings aside for her safety. She had found this out a while ago and stopped trying to change his mind in situations like this. She opted to just go with what he said cause in the end she realized that if she was happy and safe, then he was happy too.

The couple returned to bed and snuggled against each other, facing each other this time, and held each other tightly. Knowing that Stella was right there and loved him and only him did more than ease his mind and the pain; it made him appreciate her more than he already did, if that were even possible. He knew, that as long as Stella was there, he would never have to worry about nightmares ever again, and after that night no nightmare ever infiltrated his dreams. All he ever thought about, awake or asleep was Stella, and he wouldn't have it any other way With that they both fell prey to slumber as they continued to hold each other, neither of them loosening their grip on the other.

Author's note: There you have it, my first fanfic I've made, not the first I thought of writing, but the first that I actually did write! I hope you enjoyed!

Okay, here I am about 4 months after I started writing. Originally I planned on publishing all chapters, 26 planned currently, after I wrote them all, but I decided against it. As of now I have 7 chapters written and plan on releasing one a month until I catch up to where I am. With me starting college I'm not sure how consistently I can post, but I'll try my best. Well, that's about it. Don't hesitate to PM me with any comments or suggestions.

Also, despite this being my own original work, I feel like it's appropriate to give a shout out, not that a shout out from me matters, to a writer who I believe has influenced my writing style greatly. I loved reading Gamera68's Rosario + Vampire fanfics (His confession and a Vampire. Both the original and the Reboot), which if you haven't read you should definitely check them out. I binge read the both of them, and I think his style just stuck with me.

Can't wait to write/post the next chapter. Until then, stay you my friends.


	2. Graduation of a Failed Knight

Romance of a Failed Knight

Authors note: A new month, a new chapter. Actually, my birthday is this month, so as a present to myself, I will be posting chapter 3 on my birthday. Anyways, here's chapter 2, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Chivalry of a Failed Knight; neither the characters nor plot

Chapter 2: Graduation of a Failed Knight

As Ikki woke up, he began to sit up, but quickly laid back down as his entire body protested, sending a wave of pain throughout his entire body. There wasn't a muscle in his body that wasn't sore. Being awakened by her fiancé's sudden movements, Stella turned to face Ikki; eyes still closed, and gave him a tight hug. "Good morning champ," she said through a yawn. Even smiling at his fiancé's tired state hurt Ikki, but he couldn't help it, he just found her to be too adorable in that state. As soon as Stella tightened their embrace, Ikki went stiff and nearly cried out in pain, but held it in. Noticing Ikki's reaction Stella opened her eyes to see her fiancé in a good deal of distress and loosened the tightness of her embrace. "What's wrong sweetie, you're not hurt are you?!" She asked with both panic and concern. Ikki couldn't help but laugh at this, despite him knowing it was going to hurt like hell, he didn't fight it. As the pain gradually grew from his laughter he began to take in long slow breaths to help calm him.

After his laughing fit subsided, he told Stella, "No, I'm not hurt, just exceedingly sore." "Oh, well what's sore" Stella inquired. He simply replied, "Everything" She laughed at this and re-informed him, "Well, that's what you get for exerting yourself to that extent. Speaking of which, that was pretty reckless, using as much effort as you did with Tohka freshman year in that one second, but this time using it over the span of fifteen seconds." Though she light-heartedly scolded him now, back after the battle she was in tears as he had collapsed after his victory. She knew what just one second of that effort did to him, and here he had used it for a full fifteen seconds. She honestly didn't know if he would leave without any serious or permanent injuries.

Bringing her back to the present, Ikki laughed before addressing her. "Maybe so, but I think it was worth it" As he said this he gestured with a slight nod of his head, directing her attention to a trophy on his desk reading, "Seven Star Sword Festival Champion: Ikki Kurogane" Stella merely sighed before saying, "I know that you were able to defeat Kuraudo and win the tournament because you took that risk. What I don't understand is why you used it for as long as you did. You know first hand the effects of exerting that much effort in just one second, but you went and did it for fifteen seconds. There is no way you could've known you would come out unscathed. What would you have done if you were left with a serious or permanent injury? Did you even think about how that would affect me, or was the only thing you were focused on was winning?"

Ikki could clearly hear the frustration in her tone as she began questioning him, but it soon turned to one of a scared child. Knowing his actions caused her to feel the way she did, Ikki decided that she deserved the truth behind his actions. Taking a breath to both gain his fiancé's attention and to prepare himself for what he was about to confess, Ikki began, "The truth is Stella, the only thing on my mind during the tournament was winning." Stella's heart sunk at hearing her fiancé's brutally honest words. She turned away from him and got up, getting ready to run out of the door. She didn't want to be there any longer, it was too painful. She had never felt like Ikki disregarded her feelings until now. It was something she hated and never wanted to experience. Before she could take a single step towards the door, she was stopped as Ikki got in front of her, excruciating pain could clearly be seen on his face. Before she could say anything, she found herself in a tight embrace.

"What are you doing you idiot! Why are you up and moving when it clearly pains you?!" Stella fussed at him. "Because you didn't let me finish, and you need to… no, you deserve to hear the truth, all of it." Ikki said with conviction in his voice. Not giving his fiancé time to respond so she couldn't protest, he continued. "Yes it's true that I was only focused on winning the tournament, but I was only focused on winning for **YOU** "

Confused at what she just heard, Stella asked him, "Why? You know that I don't care if you win or lose. All that matters to me is that you stay here, beside me." He didn't hesitate in his answer, and never faltered while addressing her. "Because, you deserve someone who can always be by your side. If I didn't win, and in turn didn't graduate, then I couldn't do the only thing I want to, that being to be with you every minute of my life. If in order to achieve that I have to risk my life then so be it. Stella, there is nothing that I wouldn't do to be beside you, and make you happy. I know that if it's for your happiness then my life is worth betting. I say this because I won't allow myself to die for your happiness, if I did then you wouldn't be happy, and that defeats the purpose of me risking my life in the first place" He gave her a warm smile as he finished his answer.

"You sure do know how to make a girl feel important" Stella replied as her face became flushed. Ikki replied with the same smile as before, which seemed to have gotten even brighter. "Well, not just any…" Ikki began, looking at the floor, before a sharp pain cut him off. This pain, however, was only on the surface, so it didn't stem from his soreness. When he opened his eyes and faced his fiancé, he saw that her right hand was stretched across her body, her hand open and a little red, not unlike his cheek. She had slapped him. Before he reacted to this sudden act, Ikki noticed one more thing about Stella; though she was angry, as it was evident on her face, she also had tears that started to flow down her cheeks.

"Idiot! Don't you ever think about doing something like that again!" Stella told him in a raised voice, but not quite yelling. "You think I care about you graduating. Ikki, I don't give a damn if you drop out! As long as you're beside me then that's all that matters to me. Even if you hadn't graduated, I would have stayed by your side **.** You're always there for me when I need you, and you need to know I'll be there for you when you need me. Even if I have to drop out before graduating and repeat a year to be with you, then so be it. Just don't risk your life like that. Promise me. I don't know what I would've done if I had lost you." There was a quick pause before Stella continued, "What I do know is that a world without you isn't a world worth living in, so please, don't leave me."

With that Stella lost the composure she had tried so hard to keep. She buried her head into Ikki's shoulder and began to softly cry. She instinctively pulled him into an embrace, then immediately realized that she was undoubtedly causing him pain. Before she could end the embrace, Ikki pulled her back into a firm embrace. She loved it when he held her like this. It was tight which let her know that he didn't want her anywhere else but in his arms. At the same time, however, it was a gentle, caring embrace. The gentle side of his embrace let her know that he loved her and that she was the most important person in the world to him.

Remembering that her fiancé was probably in pain she asked, "Why are you hugging me like this when you know it only hurts?" He answered in a whisper, "Because this pain is nothing compared to that." Not understanding what he meant, Stella pressed forward with her questioning, "What's that?" His answer comforted her and let her know that he understood where she was coming from. "The pain of thinking of being separated from you. Even being separated by mere distance is a living hell for me, but that can be fixed, death, however, is something that can't be remedied. " He took a deep breath and swallowed his pride before continuing, "I can't tell you how sorry I am, Stella. I thought I was doing what was best for you. I now see that I was being selfish and my vision was clouded by my own desires. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Idiot", Stella whispered. "I don't want your apology, I want **YOU**." Tears began to flow down her cheeks once again. "The only thing that matters to me is that you come back to me safe and sound." She gained a bit more composure and continued, "That's what I want. No, that's what I need, and as my fiancé it is your duty to tend to my needs." Knowing damn well that she was right he submitted to her will once again. "Very well princess" He said as a smile pulled at his lips. He then put one of his hands on her cheek, tracing circles around it with his thumb in a comforting manor. With his other hand he wiped her tears away.

Stella's cheeks turned red as she heard him call her princess. She looked up to say something, but was never given the chance to speak. He caught her lips with his own and began to kiss her tenderly. Her heart fluttered and she felt like she was on cloud nine. After a brief moment of being caught off guard, she eventually eased into the kiss like she always did. Despite sudden displays of love and adoration like this being common between the two, she never got used to them, and she was honestly glad for that.

Walking him backwards towards there bed, she turned him around and pushed him onto the bed, forgetting the pain he was in. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Ikki; I completely forgot you were sore. Are you okay?" She asked, worried he might be upset at her. He gestured for her to come closer, and when she did he grabbed her and pulled her on top of him, wrapping her in another embrace. "What are you doing?" Stella inquired. "If you keep doing things like this you wont get any better." He smirked as he answered her, "True, but right now I want to be close to you more than anything, including getting better from this soreness." She merely sighed and told him "You really are stubborn aren't you." A blissful smile graced her lips as she laid her head on his chest.

Not too long after resting her head on Ikki's chest, Stella drifted off to sleep. It had been an emotionally draining morning for both of them, but it appeared to have taken a greater toll on Stella. Ikki looked down at his sleeping angel and saw that she wore a smile as she slept. In turn he smiled, happy that she was feeling better and close to him. He wanted to sleep, but graduation was in a few hours and he didn't want either of them to miss it. Despite this being the case, all he cared about was right then and there, him holding his one true love, watching her sleep peacefully. Without realizing it, he began to succumb to the pulls of slumber, eventually falling asleep as well. With his arms still around her, a smile formed across his face. Even in his sleep he knew he was where he belonged and wanted to be, with Stella by his side, or in this case sleeping on top of him.

Ikki opened his eyes, his vision still blurry from sleeping. He noticed there was a figure above him that offered a smile as it spoke. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." Ikki would've knocked the figure out with a well placed punch had it not been for Stella still sleeping on top of him and the fact that he recognized the voice.

"What the hell are you doing here Alice!?" Ikki then thought to himself then posed a question. "Wait a second, I know I locked the door before turning in for the night, how the hell did you get in here?" Alice responded sarcastically, "My how cold of you, treating me like an unwanted guest." Ikki replied with a smirk, "That's because you are" Alice paid no mind to this and continued, "Well I'm hurt that you can't remember that I can move between shadows. I mean I know of your Ittou Shura, though I do wish to know more about your Ittou Shura of the night" He chuckled after that last part. Even knowing Alice only meant this as a joke, it still sent a shiver down his spine. "Get out Alice" Ikki said sternly.

"Fine, fine, I'm going. Just thought I'd let you know that graduation is in an hour." Alice reminded him before disappearing into a shadow. 'Shit, shit, shit, shit!' Ikki thought to himself. The first thing he did was wake Stella up. Even though he was rushed and a bit upset from the events this morning, he still woke her up gently. 'Wait…' He thought to himself, 'How the hell is she still asleep after something like that!? Oh whatever, I guess it doesn't matter right now. Right now I need to get her up and start getting ready.'

He gently rubbed her back with one hand and caressed her cheek with the other. Somehow Stella was able to sleep through the whole Alice ordeal earlier, but the gentle touch of her fiancé was all that was needed to pry her from the grips of slumber. "Good morning dear." Stella said half asleep, brushing some hair to her side. Seeing his fiancé like this made Ikki smile and momentarily forget the situation they were in, but only for a moment. "Stella, we need to get up and get ready, graduation is in less than an hour." Ikki informed her calmly.

A moment of silence passed before the words Ikki spoke finally registered in her mind. Jumping up, Stella scanned the room for a few choice items. After collecting these choice items she ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower. While Stella was in the shower, Ikki searched through their closet for their caps and gowns. After he found them he laid them out over the back of the couch, just as Stella stepped out of the shower in nothing but a towel. Much like the day they first met, Ikki couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She snapped at him, "Hey! Keep getting ready. There'll be plenty of eye candy later." She said with a smirk. Ikki resumed getting ready after apologizing. He entered the shower while Stella began to get dressed.

While Stella was getting dressed she was startled by a scream coming from her fiancé followed by an explanation for the source of his out burst. "How the hell can you shower in this lava!?" Stella laughed to herself. Though Ikki never really complained, if he was caught off guard, every once in a while he'd have an outburst unlike his normal levelheaded self. She loved it when he gave these reactions; she honestly found them adorable.

After finishing getting dressed, the duo rushed towards the door, Stella close on Ikki's heels. Before reaching the door, one of the legs of the coffee table caught Stella's right foot. Ikki heard a hitch in her step and turned to see his fiancé getting ready to have a very close relationship with the ground. Ikki immediately sprang to her aid, catching her in his arms, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "Be careful. I don't want to be late for graduation either, but your safety is more important than being punctual." Ikki told Stella as he still held her. Stella, face flushed, replied, "Okay, I will. Thank you prince." Becoming flustered as well, Ikki, after regaining proper brain function, merely replied, " Of course, anything for your safety." With that the duo opened the door and made a run for the concert hall that had been added when they were third years.

They arrived at the rear entrance and were greeted by Yuuri-Chan, gesturing them to hurry inside. Luckily for them, they made it with just a few seconds to spare. They got to their respective seats. Though the rest of the class was alphabetically organized, they were together. "No doubt the work of Kurono, I don't know what her motives are this time, but I won't complain, after all she did put me beside you." Ikki said with a warm, reassuring smile, grabbing Stella's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Offering a smile back, she just enjoyed holding his hand and being close to him. The lights dimmed, signaling the start of the ceremony. The two then sat down, hands still interlocked, eager for the start of the ceremony.

Yuuri-Chan made her way to a podium on the left side of the stage and adjusted the microphone so it was just below her chin. She began, "Parents, siblings, and friends, thank you for joining us today in celebrating the graduation of this year's senior class (I couldn't find the year, sorry if it was provided and I missed it). It brings me great pleasure to send these students off to continue their lives as young adul" Yuuri-Chan would've said as young adults had she not thrown up a liter of blood, causing some spectators to either cover their eyes or lose consciousness all together. After regaining her composure and wiping away the blood from her mouth she continued, "Before the ceremony proceeds we will hear a few words from the school director, Kurono Shinguuji."

As Kurono made her way to the podium she shot a smirk in Ikki's direction. As soon as he saw this, Ikki's stomach knotted up. He didn't know what she was up to, but he had a feeling that he was going to be dragged into it against his will. He found out all too soon how right he was. She began in a calm, even tone as usual, "Fathers and mothers; brothers and sisters; as well as others, thank you for joining us on this joyous occasion. This ceremony will not follow the procedures of an ordinary graduation, rather I'm going to take it in a slightly different direction." The audience looked to one another, confused as to what Kurono could've meant. She paid no mind to the confusion and continued. "This would be the point in most graduations where the valedictorian would be called out to say a few choice words, however, I would like to call up a young man who is far from what one would call a valedictorian." After finishing that sentence, she once again turned towards Ikki. His fear of Kurono having a plan involving him was unfolding before his very eyes and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

Knowing Ikki's father would show up to graduation for Shizuku, Kurono planned to display the rank-F knight as the accomplished individual he was despite his shortcomings in the field of magic. She wanted to show him how much of a fatherly fuck-up he was, and here was the literal and metaphorical stage where she could do that unopposed. She began to speak, not even trying to hide the smirk anymore. "This young man, despite not being gifted in the field of magic, fought all the opposition that didn't believe in him." She glared daggers at Ikki's father as she said this before returning to her speech. "This young man, despite being discriminated by nearly all of the school, never acted upon any provocation that was directed towards him. The only action he took was to work hard everyday with everything he had in order to overcome the obstacles that life had placed before him. The results of his hard work and dedication are evident before you today. This young man is graduating as a rank-F knight, surrounded by friends who support him, and even a fiancé who loves him just as much as he loves her." Upon hearing this, both Ikki's and Stella felt the blood rushing to their cheeks.

Before either of them could think about hiding, they were both directly addressed by Kurono, "Why are you still sitting down, come on up here champ, and bring that lovely fiancé of yours with you." Still holding hands, cheeks still flushed, they made their way down to where Kurono was. They were both taken aback at what Kurono did next. Before they knew it, they were both wrapped in a tight embrace. Though Kurono would never say it out right, she had become rather fond of Ikki. She was honestly sad to see him go, but at the same time happy at how much he had grown. Not to say that she didn't like Stella, quite the opposite actually, she thought she was an outstanding young woman and was glad to have made her acquaintance.

After ending their embrace the crowd erupted into a round of applause, including the graduating students behind them. Ikki looked at Kurono and noticed that unlike when he first met her, that he could actually get a read her. Ikki and Stella returned to their seats and graduation continued without a hitch, and least the ceremony did. After they were dismissed, Ikki and Stella went to talk to Kurono, Ikki knew something was on her mind and wanted to see if she was all right.

When they found her Ikki walked up to her first. He asked "Miss Shinguuji, is everything okay? You seem a bit off." She was surprised that Ikki was able to pick up that anything was wrong with her, but then again, that boy was always full of surprises, not unlike her. She didn't try to cover it up and admitted, " Yeah, I'm just a bit sad to see you go. Life was so dull and boring until you showed up. I fear that now that you're graduating my life will return to where it had been before." He reassured her, "Don't worry Miss Shinguuji, this is far from our last meeting, we're not that easy to get rid of." He teased. "I mean you will come to our wedding, won't you?" Ikki asked a bit sad that he thought that Kurono didn't want to attend his wedding. He was grateful to her from the bottom of his heart; not just for giving him a chance to graduate, but also for deciding to room Stella with him. Had it not been for her he might not be where he is today, graduating despite being a rank-f, with a fiancé he could only dream of being his.

Kurono honestly didn't expect to be invited to their wedding. She thought that they thought that she only brought trouble their way and wouldn't want her there. She voiced her thoughts in a low voice, "You want me at your wedding?" Ikki looked at Stella and let her answer Kurono's question. "Of course we want you at our wedding! If it hadn't been for you then the two of us would've never met, at least in the manner we did, but had we not, we might not be here like this today. Also, I know you think that we think of you as troublesome and such, but you're wrong. Yes, you scheme and find ways to throw curve balls our way, but that has made these years all the more fun. Our wedding just wouldn't feel right if you weren't there." Stella answered as she offered Kurono a smile.

Unable to respond, the seemingly always-levelheaded director felt the tears starting to fall across her cheeks. She was so happy that they wanted her at their wedding. Finally gaining the composure to speak, she addressed the couple with a smile, "I would love to attend your wedding! I am so proud of the both of you. Both of you have grown so much as individuals and together. Also, stop with the formalities, you've graduated, so please, call me Kurono." The duo offered her a smile and answered her in unison, "Okay, Kurono." Kurono snickered at this and teased them. "Goodness, you two already sound like an old married couple." Before either of them could respond, they were interrupted by a cold, even voice. One recognized immediately by Ikki and Kurono, but left Stella a bit confused.

"Ikki, may I have a word with you in private?" A tall, well dressed man asked Ikki. Ikki responded calmly, "Hello father, and no you cannot. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it to me and my fiancé." Stella immediately hated this man with every fiber of her being. Upon hearing that this man was Ikki's father a fiery, as in actual flames, aura appeared around her. Seeing his fiancé getting worked up he just merely squeezed her hand that was still in his and she immediately calmed down.

"So be it. Can we step out, I still wish to have this conversation in a more private place" Ikki's father asked while looking for the nearest exit. Ikki looked first to Stella who just nodded, then to Kurono who spoke. "Are you sure about this Ikki?" Ikki just nodded at her and gave her a reassuring smile. He then addressed his father, "I have no objections; lead the way." With that his father walked towards the nearest exit, his son and fiancé not far behind him. Kurono watched as the three disappeared behind a door at the end of the aisle at the far right of the stage, and wished that all would turn out well. Unfortunately for the duo, Kurono's wish wouldn't come true that day.

Author's Note: Wow, that chapter took longer than I had hoped. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed it. Also, please don't hesitate to PM me with comments or suggestions.

Well I feel awkward. Here I am writing this while in the middle of writing ch.4 when I realized, I never resolved Ikki's soreness. I guess he ran it off, yeah let's go with that (Insert nervous laughter) Anyways, hope that doesn't bother too many of you, but I fear if I go back to these chapters too much I won't return to where I was. I hope y'all can forgive me.

So, what does Ikki's father need to talk about? Could he have possibly swallowed his pride, or does he have a similar message to that of episode 11 (Where he told Ikki he didn't want him to accomplish anything)? This and more will unravel in the next chapter. So, until then, stay you my friends.


	3. Disownment of a Failed Knight

Romance of a Failed Knight

Author's Note: I said I would post a chapter on my birthday and here it is.

This is my present to myself and to y'all. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you chapter 3.. Hope y'all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Chivalry of a Failed Knight; that includes characters, the plot, etc.

Chapter 3: Disownment of a Failed Knight

Ikki's father walked down an empty hallway, as most students and their parents had already left immediately after the ceremony. Eventually, Ikki's father came up to a door that led into a small choir room. As he opened it he stepped in and turned on the lights. It was a small room about 20x15 ft. There was a riser with two different levels, each filled with chairs, on the wall directly on the left as you walked into the room. In the back right corner there was a desk that faced the door, f covered in sheet music and miscellaneous music related utensils like drum sticks, a metronome, and a pitch pipe among others. In front of the risers and desk was a simple studio piano made from a light brown spruce.

Ikki's father pulled up three chairs. One he put facing the door and the other two facing the single chair. Ikki's father sat down in the single chair and gestured for the pair to sit in the two opposite of his. As they sat, Ikki was the first to break the silence, asking his father, "So sir, what is it you needed to talk to me about?" His voice wasn't bitter, but it was even and cold, like steel. Ikki's father answered his son, posing a question in an annoyed tone. "Son, do you know how much trouble you have caused me in the past three years?" Ikki, still keeping a level head answered honestly, "No I don't, and I don't really give a damn. Also, don't call me son. You show up to graduation for Shizuku and only address me in concern for your reputation. You are no father, not to me."

Ikki's father wasn't expecting his son to be so blunt, but nevertheless, he kept his composure, and replied, "Too much for me to turn a blind eye." Before his father could continue, Ikki interrupted him stating coldly, "That's not my concern. All I have done these past three years is attend school and participate in extra curricular activities. Any consequences that my actions have brought upon you are not directly my doing; if anything they're your fault." Ikki decided to elaborate with a comparison. "Sir, I was put in a box by two people. Despite me wanting to be free, they both tried to keep me in that box as much as they could." Stella looked at Ikki, knowing where he was going and just smiled at him.

He continued, "Despite those two people doing the same thing initially, their situations ended very differently. I eventually broke out of the boxes these people put me in. One of the two people realized that she was wrong in keeping me boxed up, and because of that there was a bond that began to form between us. We both learned from each other and grew closer then we thought possible." Ikki looked at Stella and gave her a smile so bright it could've shadowed the sun. He then turned back to his father and proceeded, "Now the second person wasn't so lucky. He kept trying to put me back in the box, but that wasn't going to happen. Because of that this man ended up making himself look like an ass and learned nothing from the situation, and to this day he is bitter about his mistake but still refuses to admit it."

Stella couldn't help but laugh out loud at this. She was enjoying every moment of Ikki letting his father have what was coming to him. Stella was brought out of her laughing fit when Ikki's father spoke angrily. "Are you saying that she is better than me!?" Ikki, still keeping an even tone responded, "What? Did I not make that obvious? Here, let me help you. Stella is better than you; you could never dream of being half as good a person as Stella is. There, you get it now?" Stella could only stand there, mouth to the floor. Ikki's words towards his father were entertaining, but what he said about her was heart filled and meaningful. She had never felt more special.

Ikki's father finally snapped, yelling, "You say this trash is better than me!? She is nothing when compared to me, she's just some bitch who had her pure talent and skill poisoned by your morals! Now she's nothing but a pest in this world, giving needless hope to people who shouldn't accomplish anything, just like you." The last part was spoken more calmly, but with a heavy dose of venom in it.

Stella began to protest, "Hey!" Before she could go any further she was interrupted as Ikki stood up, letting go of her hand, which he had held since the beginning of graduation. Ikki spoke to his father, but no longer had his calm, level headed demeanor. He was livid. "Itsuki, you do not speak about my fiancé like that! Say what you want about me, I personally don't give a shit what you think about me. She, however, is a different story. Up until now I have not done anything to directly affect you or your life. However, if you do or say anything to hurt Stella, I will target you myself, and destroy everything you have worked for to the point where it can't be recovered. Do I make myself clear?" Ikki had a dark aura around him. Stella was worried and even a bit scared, but she knew that the dark aura stemmed from his pure feelings for her, so she didn't stop him or say anything.

Ikki's father was not as fortunate as Stella. Itsuki knew his son was strong, hell, he acknowledged his strength, and he knew what it looked like. This was different. He had never seen this side of his son. He was terrified. If he weren't focused on the source of his terror, his son in a state of unadulterated rage, he would've noticed that his entire body was shaking, quite visibly at that.

It was at this point that Stella decided to step in. She feared that if she didn't that Ikki might actually kill his father. Not that she minded his father being out of the picture, but she knew that there would be dire consequences if it happened like that. She walked up to Ikki's right and grabbed his arm, pressing it against her bosom. She then told him, "It's okay Ikki; I think he gets it now. I think anyone would be after being scared beyond words at the hands of their own child." The aura around Ikki dissipated and he gave Stella a bright smile like nothing happened.

Regaining some composure after being frozen in place at the hands of his son, Itsuki angrily walked up towards Stella. He spoke to get the duo's attention. "You think this little shit scares me. I think you're mistaken, here let me demonstrate." He raised his hand, preparing to hit Stella. He knew this didn't mean what she said wasn't true, he was just tired or her pointing out those truths. As he brought his hand down, there was a soft thud. When Itsuki took a second to look, what he saw made him lose all color in his face. His arm was in Ikki's hand; the dark aura had appeared around him once again, this time even stronger then before.

Ikki addressed his father with the smirk he wore when fighting strong opponents. He knew his father wasn't strong, but he looked forward to hurting him both from his pent up aggression, but mostly for even thinking about hurting Stella. "So it seems I didn't make myself clear earlier. Here, allow me to reiterate." With that said Ikki didn't let his father say anything, not a bull shit excuse or a final prayer. In one motion he threw his father over his shoulder, dislocating Itsuki's shoulder in the process. He hit the hard tile floor with a cringe-inducing thud, knocking the wind out of him in the process. He would've yelled in pain from his no longer properly located shoulder, but he couldn't without any air in his lungs. Ikki then pinned him on the floor, stomach pressed to the ground with his uninjured arm behind his back.

It was at this time when Shizuku burst through a shadow with Alice right behind her. Ikki's father was the first to notice this and asked for her help. "Shizuku, help! Ikki's lost it; he just assaulted me. I think he may have dislocated my shoulder." Shizuku walked up to him and replied harshly," Don't give me that bull shit Itsuki! I heard and saw everything. Not only did you say horrible things about Ikki and Stella, but you were actually going to hit her. If you ask me, Ikki is being too merciful."

Itsuki didn't know what to say. He had never been addressed by his first name by his daughter. It was surprising to hear Ikki use it previously, but hearing it from Shizuku cut deep. Shizuku then walked up to Ikki, along with Stella, and they both put a hand on each of his shoulders. Ikki took a deep breath and the aura around him once again dissipated. He then stood up and gave both Shizuku and Stella a hug. After they ended their embrace, they noticed Itsuki had passed out due to the pain. Ikki asked Alice and Shizuku to take him to the nurse's office. He needed to be treated and Ikki wanted some alone time with Stella.

After Shizuku and Alice carried Itsuki through a shadow, carrying him on a stretcher, Ikki and Stella were finally alone since they first woke up that morning. Ikki didn't want to look at Stella. He was honestly embarrassed that he snapped in front of her. Seeing her fiancé's uneasiness, Stella wrapped him in a tight embrace. "It's okay Ikki. I know you kept a level head as long as you could. I honestly don't know how you did it for as long as you did. I'm proud that you tried to be the bigger man and keep the situation under control." She informed him. Before she could continue he interjected, "But I didn't. I couldn't keep a level head or maintain a stable situation." Stella did the one thing that she knew would shut him up long enough to let her speak. She kissed him on the cheek. Then, dumbfounded as she expected him to be, Ikki just looked at Stella.

She continued, "I'm also proud that you knew when the situation was beyond salvaging. Had you not, your dad might have hit me, and I know if he did he would be leaving in a hearse, not a stretcher." Stella's face became red as she confessed, "It also made me really happy to see you defend me; both verbally and physically. No one but you has ever done that for me. You don't need to be embarrassed. If anyone needs to be embarrassed, it would be your father. He just got his ass handed to him by his own son." Stella teased, trying to lighten the mood.

After Ikki had been cheered up he finally addressed Stella, "Would it be too much to ask to return to our room. I'm both mentally and physically exhausted from today?" Stella was a bit confused, so she asked him, "That's fine with me, but why are you physically exhausted? For you, flipping someone and pinning them is next to nothing in terms of effort." Ikki replied, "I know, but that's not why I'm physically exhausted. I'm physically exhausted from holding myself back for so long. Ever since he wanted to talk to me without you, I wanted to deck him. I never knew doing nothing could take that much energy."

Stella couldn't contain the laughter she had been holding in. When her laughing fit finally subsided, she told Ikki, "Okay, as long as you don't go to sleep when we get there. I want to show you how much I appreciate what you did for me today." Ikki smirked at this and opened the door for Stella, saying, "Of course my princess." Stella walked through the door and answered him. "Thank you my prince." With that they left the choir room and headed for their room.

When the duo walked through the door, Stella wasted no time in putting her plan into motion. She locked the door behind her and walked up to Ikki, who was in the midst of removing his gown. After Ikki had removed his gown, Stella reached up and grabbed him by his collar. She then pulled him down and caught his lips with hers. He felt a wave of pleasure throughout his body as a shiver was sent down his back. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in closer.

Her response to his embrace was instinctive as well as immediate; she draped her arms around his neck. Being encouraged by his fiancé's reciprocation of affection, he allowed his hands to slowly travel up her back, sending a wave of pleasure through her body. Had their eyes been open, Ikki would've seen Stella's eyes roll back in pure ecstasy. He continued his ministrations and slowly brought his hands back down, one on each of her sides, allowing them to come to rest on her firm posterior before giving it a gentle squeeze. This caused a moan to escape Stella, which reverberated inside of Ikki's mouth. This only pushed the newly graduated failed knight on.

He moved his hands down to her thighs, then in one seemingly effortless motion, picked her up, never breaking their kiss in the progress. She was surprised by this sudden action, but was too enveloped in their kiss to pay much mind to it. Ikki then walked Stella back to their bed and sat down on it. Stella, now sitting on his lap, was tired of following the leader, and decided it was her turn to lead. With a smirk gracing her lips, she broke their kiss; not only to take the lead, but she desperately needed air, not unlike Ikki who was panting heavily.

Ikki was about to protest the sudden cease of their kiss, but was never given the opportunity. Stella removed her hands from around his neck, and then placed them both on his chest. Ikki looked up at Stella; as their eyes met, Stella gave a forceful shove causing Ikki to fall back onto the bed, now looking up at her. Stella looked like a hungry tigress about to pounce on her prey, which she did. Ikki let out a barely audible yelp. Hearing this, Stella began to giggle in between kisses. She couldn't contain herself; she was back on cloud 9. She had graduated along with her fiancé; he had protected her, both verbally and physically, from his own father; and now they were alone, sharing this moment

She was brought out of her blissful thoughts when a violent pounding on the door interrupted both her and Ikki. Stella was annoyed by this, but decided to just ignore it and continue where she left off before she was rudely interrupted. Before she could resume, the door was pounded on more violently than before. Stella was now livid. Whatever asshole was on the other side of their door had interrupted her and Ikki's private time together. She reluctantly got off the bed; ready to incinerate whoever was on the other side of the door.

Before she could make her way towards the door, Ikki took her hand. She looked down at him and he shook his head, signaling her to let him handle this. Ikki got up and walked towards the door. Before he reached it there was a single impact on the door, which shook in its frame. Ikki stopped, knowing what was about to happen, at least to the door. Once again the door was struck, shaking more violently than before. Finally the third blow came, and the lock that had kept the door shut gave way as the door shot open. On the other end was Itsuki; anger could not only be seen on his face, but it could be felt emanating from him.

Not one second after the door gave way, Shizuku and Alice bolted into the room through a shadow provided by Alice. "Ikki! Itsuki's awake, and he's not in the nurse's office anymore! I think he might be coming he…" Shizuku started, but stopped when she saw that Ikki had his gaze locked in the direction of the door. When she looked at to what held her brother's attention, her heart sunk. Her fears were confirmed.

"You! Boy!" Itsuki yelled, addressing Ikki. "I don't give a damn if you don't see me as a father. The fact is that you are my son, so you will respect me!" Ikki, keeping his composure, answered with an even tone. "Itsuki, you have never showed me respect, hell, you never had any real feelings for me to begin with. You have tried to ruin everything I worked so hard to achieve, and worse you tried to ruin my relationship with Stella. She is the most important person in my life, and you tried to separate us. Today, you insulted her and would've hit her had I not intervened."

Ikki was becoming livid just remembering his father as he attempted to hit his one and only love. He continued with anger in his voice, it was still even, but at the same time cold and immovable. "Itsuki, you will never have my respect, you don't deserve it." At hearing this, Ikki's father became furious, shouting, "I don't need to deserve it! I'm your father; that is reason enough!"

Before Ikki could respond, Shizuku put herself between the two. She begged her father, on the verge of tears, "Father, please stop this. Can't you see you're in the wrong here? Ikki has left you alone until you provoked him earlier. I'm sure if you apologize for your actions that he will return to letting you be. If you keep trying to put him back in the box, you're only going to cause yourself more trouble."

Itsuki had reached his limit. Now his only daughter was defying him. "So, now even you are defying me, Shizuku?" He asked, with an eerily even tone. She replied, "Father, you know I have always loved and supported Ikki. The only reason why I am going against you now is because you are crossing the line. You need to back off before something bad happens." Itsuki spoke in a hiss, "That's enough out of you!" He then raised his hand across his chest and brought the back of his hand across Shizuku's cheek. She stumbled backwards; no one, not even Ikki, saw it coming. She fell back into Ikki's arms and noticed that the dark aura had returned.

He helped Shizuku back up without saying a word. He looked at her cheek and saw it beginning to bruise. He then looked at his Itsuki. If looks could kill, Itsuki could've died a thousand times over and that would only be a fraction of the intensity of Ikki's glare. However, this time Itsuki had a trick up his sleeve to keep Ikki at bay. He told him as Ikki took a threatening step towards him. "Hold it! If you do anything to me, I will not only disown you, but her as well." He gestured towards Shizuku as he said this.

Ikki stopped and responded, "This is between you and me, leave her out of this; you've already practically disowned me, but don't drag her into this." Itsuki stood his ground despite shaking in his skin as he replied, "I'm afraid I can't do that. She has defied me just as you have. You both face the same potential consequence." Itsuki wore a smirk, thinking he had bested his son. Ikki wouldn't take action because his actions would also affect Shizuku and not just him. He turned to Shizuku who had regained some composure. She gently rubbed her cheeks before speaking.

What Shizuku said left everyone in the room speechless, " If being part of the family means being associated with him, then fuck the family. Kick his ass, brother." Ikki wore a wicked smirk upon hearing his sister's words. Itsuki, on the other hand, lost all color in his face as his stomach knotted up after realizing the implications of what his daughter just said.

Ikki brought his father back to the situation at hand as he said, "Well, you heard the young lady. It would be rude of me not to oblige. Please, take this VERY personally." With that Ikki resumed in advancing towards his father. Itsuki decided that now would be a good time to panic. He rapidly backed up until he tripped over his own feet. He got up on his knees and saw he was in the doorframe. He pleaded with his son, "Wait! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What I did was wrong! I overstepped my boundaries! I'm sorry okay! Please, just don't hurt me!" Ikki stopped in front of his father, seemingly towering over him. Itsuki was relieved, thinking he was safe. His relief was shattered when Ikki spoke, "You should've thought of that before you tried to hit Stella and before you actually hit Shizuku. The only reason you're sorry now is because you think you're going to get hurt. Allow me to ease your uncertainty; you ARE going to get hurt."

With that Ikki brought his right foot across his father's left cheek, breaking his jaw in the process. His father slammed into the doorframe with such force that it broke the other side of his jaw. Itsuki screamed through gritted teeth. With one hand he held his now fucked up jaw closed and with the other he helped himself to his feet. Once his father stood up, Ikki walked up to him, grabbing him by his collar and lifted him off his feet. He then walked his father outside and over the railing.

"Listen here you self absorbed, arrogant, sorry excuse for a man. If I EVER see or hear of you causing trouble to any of my friends, then you will wish I left you with a dislocated shoulder or a broken jaw. If you ever bring harm to Shizuku or god forbid Stella, then I will kill you. Just so we don't repeat what happened this morning, I'll say it again. If you ever bring harm on Shizuku or Stella I WILL KILL YOU. You make damn sure you understand me, and heed my warning. Got it!?"

Ikki's father was shaking violently, terrified to a point that he didn't think was possible. At his son's words he gave a slow nod, he wanted to be as far away from him as possible. He knew his son meant everything he said, and made the easy decision that heeding his warning would be best for his health. With that Ikki left his father with these parting words, "Good, don't let me catch you or any of your goons anywhere near me, my fiancé or my friends." With that Ikki tossed his father onto the bushes bellow.

Ikki walked back in to everyone in the room with jaws to the floor. "What?" was all he managed to say. Shizuku was the first to respond, saying, "Since when have you had a side like that?" Before Ikki could respond Stella ran up to him and gave him a deep passionate kiss before responding, "It doesn't matter. I like this side of Ikki like all the rest. It's manly and unwavering. It makes me feel safer knowing he has this side to him, as all of you should feel safer. This side of him stems from his protectiveness of the ones he loves, and that includes you two, not just me"

Ikki blushed at what Stella had said, but just nodded. What she said was true, and he wasn't about to deny it. After a few moments of awkward silence, Ikki finally spoke up, " Um, I'm sorry you all had to see that, but it had to be done. Shizuku, Alice; I appreciate you coming to warn me of father's whereabouts. As you can see it has been dealt with, so if you wouldn't mind, could you please let me and Stella have some alone time?"

The two just nodded and exited through a shadow, once again provided by Alice. When they had left, Ikki sat down on their bed, and Stella followed suit, sitting down beside him, wrapping her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She broke the silence and asked Ikki, "So how are you feeling after this ordeal? I know that how your father feels about you is old news, but to be denounced from the family, that's different." Ikki responded with his usual level headed tone as Stella lifted her head from his shoulder and turned to meet his gaze, " Yeah, if anything it's given me an opportunity to ask you something that's been on my mind ever since I proposed to you. I was going to wait until we were planning the wedding, but due to unforeseen circumstances it seems like now is as good a time as any."

Her curiosity peaked, so Stella inquired, "Oh really, what is it you want to ask me?" Ikki continued, but this time his cheeks were bright red. Stella knew that whatever he was going to ask was quite embarrassing for him. She fought back a laugh that was building up inside her. She wanted to hear what her fiancé had to ask, and laughing at his embarrassment wouldn't help him open up at all. She just looked into Ikki's eyes and waited for him to speak.

Taking a deep breath Ikki asked, "I've never really cared for my family name. Even if it was respected, I knew a side of my family that others didn't. I never had a choice but to identify myself as a member of the Kurogane family, and because of that I felt like I could never escape my past. However, like so many times before, you, Stella, have freed me from the bindings of my family and past. What I wanted to ask you was, when we get married, may I take your last name?"

Stella was at a loss of words. She never wanted to take Kurogane as a last name and she knew that she wouldn't have to because Ikki wouldn't make her, and on top of the she also knew that Ikki didn't want her to. What she didn't know was how to bring it up, but now she didn't have to. All that was left was for her to ask him how he felt about taking her last name, but now she knew. She was overwhelmed with joy as tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"Yes, yes my love! I would be honored if you took on the Vermillion name. It is a name you deserve. Though the Kurogane name is respected, what it truly represents is something horrendous. A name like that does not deserve to have you represent it. I know that the Vermillion name is deserving of you, and that you will bring it the upmost honor and respect. Besides, the more I think about it, the more I like the sound of Prince Ikki Vermillion." She proclaimed.

Ikki was overjoyed himself. He wrapped Stella in a tight embrace and began to kiss her. "Thank you Stella, I'm honored to take on your family name, though I might have to get used to the prince part." Stella pulled back a little, causing Ikki to stop his ministrations. "What is it Stella, is everything okay?" He asked. "Yes dear" Stella replied, "Actually, since we're asking important questions, there's something I've been needing to ask you, since freshman year actually, but I never knew how to bring it up." Ikki reassured his fiancé, "Don't worry, you can ask me anything." He offered her a warm smile that helped her ease up before she began, " If that's the case then…"

Author's note: Yes, I know I'm terrible, leaving you folks with a cliffhanger. Anyways, that concludes chapter 3. I hope y'all enjoyed. Fun fact: The choir room where Itsuki took Ikki and Stella is my attempt to describe the choir room that I sang in my freshman through junior years of high school. I was/am a tenor, if anyone cared to know. Well then, until the next time. Until then, stay you my friends.


	4. Relocation of a Failed Knight

Romance of a Failed Knight

Here it is, chapter 4, sit down and see the surprise Stella has in store for Ikki. So, without further ado, let the show begin. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Chivalry of a Failed Knight; that includes characters, the plot, etc.

Chapter 4: Relocation of a Failed Knight

Previously in chapter 3;

"Thank you Stella, I'm honored to take on your family name, though I might have to get used to the prince part." Stella pulled back a little, causing Ikki to stop his ministrations. "What is it Stella, is everything okay?" He asked. "Yes dear" Stella replied, "Actually, since we're asking important questions, there's something I've been needing to ask you, since freshman year actually, but I never knew how to bring it up." Ikki reassured his fiancé, "Don't worry, you can ask me anything." He offered her a warm smile that helped her ease up before she began, " If that's the case, then…"

If that's the case, then you remember how you said you wanted to be beside me every minute of your life?" Stella asked timidly. Ikki didn't speak, just gave a slow, enthusiastic single nod. Stella let out a heavy sigh she held in her lungs before continuing, "After you proposed to me, my father came down here in secret, and requested to meet me. I figured he wanted to discuss our relationship, so I went, determined to remove any doubts my father had about you. After discussing how our relationship started, what the nature of our relationship was, and where we planned on taking our relationship, he was happy that I had found someone worthy of his daughter. Those are his words, not mine!" Stella quickly added. "I have never seen our relationship as one where either of us needed to be worthy of the other. I've always seen it as one where we both see each other as equals and share a love that transcends words."

Ikki was too busy in thought to fully register the last part of what Stella had said, but he was able to give a nod in agreement. Ikki was surprised that this was the first he was hearing of this meeting. He knew how it had ended before Stella told him, after all, her father was the biggest supporter of their relationship. He had personally called Itsuki after Ikki had proposed and had basically told him to fuck off and leave the duo alone as well as indirectly calling him a shitty parent. He was the father figure he had wanted all of his life, and he was grateful to her father for that. He was determined to be someone that Stella's father would be proud to call his own son, even if that wasn't really the case.

Ikki was perplexed as to why Stella was telling him this; she already knew that he knew how her father felt about him. He didn't see how it related to Stella asking him something important. Stella continued, finally linking her meeting with her father to what she had to ask Ikki, "That's not all we talked about." She looked at the floor as the blood rushed to her cheeks. It was now her turn to ask something embarrassing. She pressed on, "I asked my father if after graduation, since you weren't going to go back to your family, they don't deserve to be graced with your presence anyway; …I asked him if you could come back home with me, and move in with us."

Ikki was in a state of disbelief. He had been concerned about what he was going to do after graduation. He still wanted to be with Stella, but he didn't want to be a burden to her or make her uncomfortable. Now he didn't have to worry, he wasn't going to be separated from Stella ever again. Taking his momentary silence for something it wasn't she panicked, "That is if you want to, if you don't that's fine too." She said this with a trace of sadness in her voice. She was in fact saddened at the thought of Ikki not being with her. He disrupted her train of thought as he broke out laughing. Stella gave a puzzled look at Ikki, who finally got control of himself. Once he saw his fiancé's puzzled look he answered her, "Of course I'll move in with you, nothing would make me happier, Stella, As long as I'm with you, there is no place I wouldn't go."

Stella then threw one of her legs across both her and Ikki, repositioning herself in a single graceful motion so that she was now straddling Ikki. She wrapped her arms around his neck before speaking, "Hearing you say that makes me so happy; happier than I ever could've imagined." Remembering that she had talked to her father about one more thing regarding Ikki living with her, she informed Ikki, "Oh, there's one more thing I need to ask you about." Ikki didn't respond initially; he just raised his brow, curious as to what Stella had forgot to mention. He eventually gave into his curiosity and replied, " Ask away my princess."

Though what Stella had to say was embarrassing, she never broke eye contact with Ikki. She was determined to hold their gaze to show him that she was serious about this. She cleared her throat and began, "Well you see, after I convinced my father to let you move in to our place, we discussed the specifics of your relocation; namely your rooming. After what seemed like forever, I was able to gain my father's approval of the proposal I presented him with." Ikki pondered for a moment at what the proposal Stella presented her father could be before deciding the quickest way to find out would be to ask Stella. " Oh, and what might that proposal have been?" He inquired. She struggled getting the words out. " You… I mean I… My father… No, we…" Stella, frustrated at her inability to just say what she wanted to say, closed her eyes and clenched her fists before stating loudly.

"I told my father that I didn't want you to have a room far away from mine. I told him I didn't want you to be in a room all by yourself; I told him that I wanted to share my room with you!" Ikki sat there, looking at his fiancé dumbfounded. Stella began to panic, thinking that he was uncomfortable with it, though she couldn't think of a reason why. They had been sleeping in the same bed for the past three years after all. Ikki was the first to speak, gaining Stella's undivided attention. "Stella. I wouldn't want it any other way, so thank you." Ikki offered a warm smile, easing Stella's faster than usual heart rate from her near panic attack. His smile quickly turned to a devilish smirk as a thought popped into his head.

Stella noticed this change and asked, "What's going through that mind of yours, Ikki?" Still smirking, Ikki answered, " Well, I imagine that your place, the entire property and not just the residence, is pretty big, right?" Stella nodded in affirmation. "And there won't be as many people there as there are here, right?" Stella once again just nodded. Ikki continued with his smirk widening, "Then it should be much easier to have our alone time go uninterrupted. Speaking of which…" Ikki then grabbed Stella's shoulders and threw her onto the bed, simultaneously rotating himself so he was positioned on top of her.

He then brought his head down and lightly bit her collarbone causing her to softly moan. He dragged his nose up her body, inhaling her womanly scent as he did, causing her to quiver at the sensation. When he reached her ear he stopped for a moment and whispered so that even Stella could barely hear despite him being so close to her ear. "How about we continue where we left off?" This caused Stella to quiver once again at the sensation that she felt from his soft breath against her ear combined with the implication of his words.

Wordlessly she answered his question as she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled his head down, catching his lips with hers. An idea popped into Ikki's mind. Usually they would eventually wrestle over who had the dominant position during their make out sessions. This time, however, Ikki wanted to try a different kind of wrestling. He slightly parted his lips, which came to no surprise to Stella; usually this meant he was just in-taking some air before continuing. This time it was different; he never brought his lips back together. Instead he traced his tongue across her lower lip, requesting her to part her lips, giving him access to her mouth.

Stella had not been expecting this turn of events. She immediately stiffened at the sudden act, though she never ceased the kiss. She slowly parted her lips, granting him the access he had wanted. Noticing her nervous demeanor, Ikki slowly pushed his tongue between her lips. Ikki then slowly traced his tongue from the center left side of her mouth to the center. He repeated this, never altering a step. At this, Stella was confused. He had never been particular about any ministration he had given her up until this point. She pondered why; then it came to her. That was the exact motion he used when he drew Intetsu. He was challenging her to a duel, where the weapon of choice was their tongues.

Stella, being the competitive type she was, accepted the challenge without a second thought as she brought her tongue from the top of her mouth to the bottom; mimicking the motion she used when summoning Laevateinn. Stella thought to herself, " When it comes to duels, I've never been able best Ikki. This time, however, I will beat him. This isn't a test of skill, but one of love, and there is no way I will let him love me more than I love him!" With that their intense duel began as their tongues clashed in each other's mouths, in a fight for dominance.

As they broke their longer than usual kiss, as this time it had become a duel, they both panted profusely. Despite her initial hopes, Stella had lost, just like all their duels prior to this one. Not only was he a better swordsman, he was also a better kisser; though she told herself she would never openly admit it. Ikki took notice that Stella's demeanor was seemingly down, so he asked, "Stella, what's wrong?" She tried to deny it, immediately replying, "Nothing." Ikki, now more determined than ever to find out what was bothering her and make her feel better, pressed on.

"Come on, tell me. I know my princess better than that. You can try to hide what you're feeling from yourself, but you can't hide it from me, so please tell me so I can do something to make you feel better." Ikki told her, the concern in his voice getting through her stubbornness. "Well, it seems like you're better than me at everything, like swordsmanship, keeping a level head, and even kissing." Stella said, her cheeks turning red as she confessed what was on her mind.

"Is that what's bothering you? Geez, we should get you glasses with how blind you are." Ikki said, earning a confused look from his fiancé. He explained, "Okay, let's start with swordsmanship. Yes, I was good at it before you came into my life, but nowhere near where I am now. Like I've told you before, I was able to get this strong because of you, so I have you to thank for my swordsmanship. As for keeping a level head, yes I am so much better than you." Stella dropped her head at this, but Ikki continued knowing that she would react that way. "However, no one can push me beyond my limits better than you. You can make me lose my self-control, whether it be holding myself back from smothering you in kisses or protecting you from anything or anybody with the audacity to think to lay a hand on or insult you. When it comes to kissing, well, I think you're the better kisser; that's why I have to hold myself back. I just can't get enough of your kisses; I'm addicted."

Hearing this, Stella's eyes filled with tears of joy. Not only was he right about her being blind to all of her attributes, but more importantly to her he thought she was a better kisser. He had reminded her of the one thing she did better than anyone else in existence, the one thing she wanted to do better than anyone with all of her heart; make Ikki happy. "Thank you love, you always know what to say to cheer me up." Stella said as she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. "Well, I'm glad I could make you feel better. I hope you know that I meant every bit of what I said. I wasn't just telling you what you wanted to hear. It just happened to be both what you wanted to hear and the truth." Ikki said, the blood rushing to his cheeks as he did.

"I know, and thank you for reminding me. I am so lucky to have someone like you. I guess we should start packing, seeing as we have to leave by the end of Friday." Stella told him. Ikki's face widened at what his fiancé had just told him. "Stella, do you know what day it is today?" Ikki asked, a bit of panic in his voice. She replied, a bit confused and uncertain, "Um, Wednesday." Ikki let out a sigh, unable to be mad at Stella, but still acknowledging the situation. He corrected her in a tone that showed frustration, not at her but at the situation, saying, "No Stella. Today is Thursday. Tomorrow is Friday; so we have to be packed and gone by the end of tomorrow." Stella only managed to scream before they both shot up and began packing. It was going to be a long night of getting ready, but Ikki couldn't care less. He would be moving in with Stella tomorrow. He was too happy to let anything bring him down.

*Pretty sure I'm not a good enough writer to make packing an interesting subject, so I'll spare your time and sanity and just skip to Ikki and Stella's arrival at her castle

The limo pulled up to the castle; as it did the chauffer stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the door for Stella to exit first. When Stella got out, she turned towards the open limo door and offered Ikki a hand, which he gladly took. When Ikki first saw the structure with in which he would be living his jaw hit the ground at his feet. Just the entrance to the castle was elegant. The two front gates must have been 25 feet tall. Both were open, leading to an extravagant garden, with a large stone fountain in the center. The fountain depicted a lone wolf, howling on the edge of a cliff. A stream of water was produced from the wolf's mouth, landing in a pound below. In the pond was a plethora of koi, but not so much as to overcrowd the pond.

Ikki's attention was brought back towards the gates as a row of servants; about thirty in total, greeted the duo simultaneously. "Good evening Princess Stella; Prince Ikki." Ikki was still wrapping his head around the whole idea of being a prince, but he relaxed as Stella grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry love, everything will be just fine." Stella reassured. Ikki offered a warm smile and nodded in agreement. As the two walked towards the gate, a figure stepped out from behind the walls on the other side of the castle. Though Ikki had never seen this man in his life, he immediately knew who it was.

Ikki immediately got down on one knee in a kneeling position, bowing his head and said, "I thank you for your benevolence your majesty. I hope my presence in your abode does not inconvenience you in any manner." Blood rushed to Stella's cheeks as soon as her fiancé finished his statement. The man walked up towards Ikki, towering over him. Ikki could feel the man standing above him. With each passing second Ikki could feel his heart rate elevate, and a light sweat began to form on his forehead, then the figure finally broke the silence.

The man gave a hearty laugh before saying, "Oh don't worry son, you're no trouble at all, at least you're not as much trouble as that one over there." He said as he motioned towards Stella. "Dad!" was all Stella was able to say before her father continued addressing Ikki. "And please, no need for formalities, just call me dad." At this both Ikki and Stella blushed madly. Seeing the youngsters' reaction, the king let out another hearty laugh. "Well, I won't keep you two waiting. Stella, I expect this young man to know the general layout of the castle by tomorrow's end. Also, no fooling around, I don't want to be a grandfather just yet."

Stella's cheeks turned twenty different shades of red before she cried, "Daddy!" The king once again let out a thunderous laugh. "I'm just messing with you, but seriously, if I catch you fooling around with my daughter I will lock her in the tower and throw you in the dungeon, understand?" The king said in a serious tone, but ended it with a wink. Both Ikki and Stella didn't know how serious the king was, but decided not to inquire. Even if the king hadn't had said what he did, there would be no fooling around before the wedding. Ikki and Stella wanted to have a pure relationship, and would wait until after marriage to do that, and in doing so keep their relationship pure. Before receiving an answer from either of the duo, the king turned and left the two to go about their business. He knew that both Ikki and Stella were serious about their relationship and would wait until after marriage to take that step. He just enjoyed teasing them about it. He had his suspicions that bases would be passed, but he was confident that no one would be scoring any time soon.

Ikki and Stella quickly entered the castle wanting to leave that moment behind them. Stella decided that she was going to take Ikki directly to their room. She would show him the way around the castle tomorrow, but for the time being she just wanted to relax and unwind from their long drive from the school to the castle. When Ikki walked into their room, his initial thought was they had walked into the wrong room. Stella noticed this and giggled. "Yes love, this is our room. The bottom half is the entertainment/cooking area. As you can see there is a full sized kitchen and a built in-home theatre. I had my dad remove the couch that had been in here and had it replaced with a custom made love seat. This one is not only a bit longer so it can be used as a couch, but it can also recline; perfect for cuddling if I do say so myself. In the center of the room is a full sized pool table. I put some tissues on the far end of the table for you to use when I leave you in tears from whooping your ass so bad." Stella was about to continue when she was interrupted by two words from Ikki.

"Bottom half?" Ikki asked both astounded and confused. Stella replied, "Oh, yes love. You see that staircase over there?" She pointed to a staircase in the corner of the room. "That leads to our actual bedroom. I just love saying OUR bedroom. It has a nice ring to it." Ikki just stood like a statue, amazed that this was just a single room in the entire castle; well actually it was two rooms, but that's beside the point. Before Ikki could say a word, Stella grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the staircase saying, "Come on slowpoke, you've yet to see the best part." She gracefully glided up the stairs and when she reached the top she gestured for him to take a look at the entire room as she proclaimed, "Behold, our room and all of its glory. When Ikki reached the top, he nearly passed out at what he saw.

At the left corner of the room was a master canopy bed, with a charcoal black frame; three red veils concealed the mattress. Behind the veil, unbeknownst to Ikki at the time, was a crimson comforter with an arrangement of red, black, and white pillows. On either side towards the head of the bed was a large bedside table made of mahogany. Each bedside table had two drawers and was topped with a simple lamp, a digital clock, and a mini titanium figurine. One was of Laevateinn and the other Intetsu. Stella's father had had them custom made for the two to distinguish which side of the bed belonged to who. Laevateinn was placed in a rough, uncut ruby while Intetsu was concealed in polished obsidian, reflecting on each other's personalities. Ikki had a dark past, but was smooth on the outside and made levelheaded decisions. Stella had an easier past than Ikki and was quick to anger and often acted on impulse. The deeper meaning of the mementos went completely over Stella's head as she commented, "How pretty" Ikki just nodded in agreement, not wanting to provoke her inner, uncut ruby.

Ikki decided to resume his scan of his and Stella's room. The next thing that Ikki noticed was a mountain, taller than him, of stuffed animals in the far corner of the room. Ikki looked at Stella, then back to Mt. Fluff, as he deemed it. He couldn't help but laugh out loud. Stella looked towards Ikki to see what he found so funny. When she saw what his gaze was fixated upon, an idea popped into her head. She yelled, but not so loud as to escape the walls of her room, "You jerk!" Ikki turned towards Stella and was about to explain that the only reason he laughed was because he could see Stella being the type to hoard stuffed animals, but never imagined a mountain that literally shadowed him.

However, before Ikki could say a word, Stella ran as fast as she could towards Mt. Fluff, and then jumped into it. Ikki was astonished as Mt. Fluff enveloped his fiancé, seemingly eating her, not leaving a trace of evidence. Ikki was dumbfounded and didn't know what to do or say. Not long after her plunge, Mt. Fluff began to rustle and shortly after, Stella poked her head out from under the sea of stuffed animals. She wore a smile so bright that Ikki, despite not understanding what was going on at all, smiled back. "Just kidding" Stella informed Ikki as to not leave him in the dark.

Ikki responded with a smirk, "So, I'm assuming that's not the first time you've done that" "Of course not! Gosh, I don't think I could wrap my head around the number of times I've done that" Stella replied with a chuckle. Ikki walked up to Stella, her head at least, to inspect Mt. Fluff a bit closer. This could be seen as a water buffalo walking up to a crocodile infested watering hole, and Ikki was that buffalo. Before he could get a good look at Mt. Fluff, Stella grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him in with her.

While Ikki couldn't see in the sea of fluff, Stella was in her element. She positioned herself behind him and wrapped her arms around him, prohibiting him from using his arms. She then gently ran her nose up across his neck, causing a wave of pleasure to send a shiver down his back, before she stopped at his ear. She softly spoke into his ear, causing him to quiver at the sensation, "How does it feel to be the hunted instead of the hunter?"

She never gave him an opportunity to answer as she nibbled his ear, rendering any of his cognitive functions useless as he let the wave of ecstasy wash over his entire body. Stella gently rubbed her hands against his rough chest. It was one of her favorite things to do. After she had deemed it fair for her to feel his chest after he had walked in on her, she had loved the feeling of her hands on his chest. Stella knew that she enjoyed this, and that Ikki at the very least didn't mind it; what she didn't know was how much he liked it. Though he would never get as much pleasure out of it as Stella, he loved the feeling of her hands anywhere on his body (No, not there you eager horn dogs! This is not that kind of FanFic).

Ikki, wanting to turn the tables on Stella, stood up, emerging from the sea of fluff like a majestic whale. Stella let out a surprised yelp, but never let go of him. "And what do you think you're doing, I'm not done toying with my prey" Stella said in a jokingly seductive tone. Ikki smirked as he responded, "What, can prey not fight back?" "Well, yes, but your efforts will prove futile" Stella said as a smirk graced her lips. With that, she continued her ministrations as Ikki stumbled towards the bed, his knees buckling with each step.

When Ikki reached the bed, he turned around and sat Stella down on the bed. When her butt made contact with the mattress, Ikki easily overpowered her, breaking his arms free from her grip. He turned around to see a face on Stella that he found priceless. Her face said, 'Have mercy', though she wasn't remotely afraid of what Ikki would do. It was quite the opposite; she looked forward to see what he would do to her (No, not like that! Like I said earlier, this is not that kind of FanFic ).

Ikki didn't really care about getting even; he just wanted to continue his and Stella's alone time. Ikki pounced on Stella, pinning her to the bed, this time, however, he wouldn't loosen his grip. This time he was the hunter, and he wouldn't let his prey escape, not this time. He brought his lips to hers, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. He quickly pulled back, earning a groan from Stella, letting him know she did not approve of his teasing. At this, he smirked, knowing that Stella was at his mercy. He brought her hands above her head so he could hold them both with one hand, freeing the other. He brought his free hand down to her thigh and began to lightly trace two fingers along the delicate flesh.

Stella began to squirm, as the pleasure was becoming too much to bear; she wanted Ikki to return to his earlier ministrations and cease this torture known as teasing. Sensing his fiancé's distress, Ikki decided he had had enough fun, and gave into to Stella's desires. He brought his lips back to hers, but this time he kissed her deeply, with no intention of breaking the kiss anytime soon. Stella wanted to try something new. Remembering their "duel" from earlier, Stella wanted to try incorporating their tongues into the kiss. Not in a duel, but more as a vessel of exploration. She did as Ikki had done, tracing her tongue along his lower lip, asking for access to his mouth. He gladly obliged and parted his lips, allowing her tongue access to his mouth.

Stella felt like she was thousands of feet above cloud nine. She never knew that one minor change in their kissing routine could make it that much more enjoyable. 'I could get used to this kind of make out session' Stella thought to herself. Finally breaking their kiss, the duo just held each other and looked lovingly into each other's eyes. Letting out a yawn, Stella felt the tiredness begin to overtake her. Ikki, seeing that Stella was trying to fight her sleepiness, reached his hand out and began to gently rub her head.

Stella could fight foes several times bigger than her, and her strength was virtually unparalleled. When it came to Ikki's gentle touch, she was utterly powerless. Knowing she was doomed to fall prey to the pulls of slumber, she gave in and drifted off into a blissful sleep. Ikki just lay there, admiring the beauty that was his one true love sleeping beside him. He felt truly blessed. Not only was he living with his one true love in permanent fashion; he was to marry her in the near future. In all honesty he didn't want to wait. If it were an option, he would've married her the day he proposed to her.

However, he didn't want to take things at a rate too fast for Stella. Instead he opted to wait until after they graduated and had living arrangements settled to discuss their wedding. Now that those two requirements were met, Ikki was waiting for the right time to talk about their wedding and he had the feeling that that time would be soon. Ikki had a suspicion that Stella felt similarly to him, but he forgot to take into account her impatience. She had wanted to marry him everyday after he proposed, but figured he would wait until after graduation and probably wait until they had living arrangements.

Since both of those requirements were met, Stella was growing more impatient everyday. Luckily for her Ikki decided that he would bring up their wedding after his general tour of the castle, and thanks to the king, that would be by the end of tomorrow. He could hardly wait, but for the time being, Ikki was happy just being beside his one true love. With that in mind, Ikki drifted off to sleep as well. Tomorrow would be a big day; he would learn the general layout of his new home and talk to Stella about their wedding. He couldn't wait till morning.

Author's note: Well, that's 4 down. I hope y'all enjoyed. This month I'm starting classes at university, so I don't know how frequently I'll be able to post. I have chapters in my pocket up until about December. So y'all shouldn't have to worry until around February.

This is going to be a longer fanfic, but I have so many ideas of what to write next, guess I'm just an ADD writer at heart. I'm stuck between Busou Renkin, Asterisk War, Campione, or Hundred. Let me know what y'all would want to see next so I can narrow my scope of thought, but again, Romance, how I'll refer to this fanfic from now on, is my top priority and I will finish it before I start publishing chapters for another fanfic.

That about wraps up my thoughts. Again, I hope y'all enjoyed! So, until next time, stay you my friends.


	5. Readjustment of a Failed Knight

Romance of a Failed Knight

 **IMPORTANT AUTHOR"S NOTE!:** It was brought to my attention that my paragraphs in previous chapters were too long and that I should separate each line of dialogue between characters. So in this chapter I will be trying this new format out. Please leave a review or PM me with your thoughts on this new format, good or bad. In any event, I won't keep y'all from chapter 5 any longer. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Chivalry of a Failed Knight; that includes characters, the plot, etc.

Chapter 5: Readjustment of a Failed Knight

Ikki awoke to a familiar scene; Stella getting changed, wearing the same black bra and panties that she wore when he had first met her. This time, however, when Stella noticed that she was being observed, she didn't panic or try to incinerate him.

Stella smiled warmly as she addressed him. "Good morning love, I was just about to wake you up so we could begin your tour of the castle."

Ikki got out of bed reluctantly before responding, "Okay. You know, it's kind of funny to think that this is a similar situation to how we first met; me seeing you change and whatnot"

Stella replied with a smirk, "True, the only difference is you don't have to worry about me telling you to commit suicide or burning you to a crisp."

"Yeah, I'm grateful for that. It would be a real shame if I weren't able to see a scene this beautiful ever again." Ikki said, still admiring the beauty before him.

Stella blushed at Ikki's compliment. She loved it when he complimented her like that; out of nowhere; not too serious but clearly sincere. She thanked him, then returned back to changing, encouraging him to do the same.

Ikki reluctantly pried his eyes from Stella and did as she asked him to. Once they were both changed, they headed down the stairs to the first level of their room. Ikki insisted Stella sit down in the custom made love seat while he prepared a surprise for her.

She sat down, contemplating what Ikki could be preparing. She was brought out of her thoughts as a pleasant scent infiltrated her nostrils. She turned her head towards the kitchen and what she saw turned her on a little, though she wouldn't say that out loud. Her eyes witnessed Ikki in the kitchen, sporting an apron and chef's hat. Ikki lifted his head from what he was doing and saw that Stella was at a loss for words.

"What? Surprised I can cook. This is one of the abilities I picked up when I was teaching myself skills I thought would be useful for everyday use. I know you did all of the cooking back at school, but the only reason I never cooked was because I was almost always working and I loved your cooking" Ikki blushed at his confession, causing Stella to giggle.

"Well I look forward to seeing how good of a cook you are" Stella said, eager to try her fiancé's cooking. Once Ikki was finished, he brought a plate over to Stella. When she saw what was on the plate her jaw dropped, and she started to drool a little.

Her plate consisted of eggs benedict, hash browns, and a small bowl of grits. Not only did the food smell divine, but it was also arranged to be aesthetically pleasing. Seeing that Stella stared blankly at her food, Ikki asked in a concerned tone, "Stella, are you okay?"

Stella was brought out of her trance as she answered, "Yeah, I just can't fathom the fact that you could cook and prepare food at this level and I never knew about it until today."

Ikki once again blushed, this time at Stella's compliment. He humbly responded, "Well I hope you like it. It might look nice, but you haven't tried it yet"

"Oh stop being humble and give yourself the credit you deserve" Stella told him as she took a bite of her breakfast.

As soon as she swallowed the first bite her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out. Ikki panicked, thinking his cooking did this to Stella. When she came to a few moments later Ikki began to apologize profusely.

"I'm so sorry Stella. I knew my cooking could never be as good as yours. I'll get this filth away from you immediately." As he said this he reached for Stella's plate. As he did, she reached out and grabbed his hand.

He turned to look at her, confusion evident on his face. Before he could say anything Stella grabbed him by his collar and pulled his head to be level with hers.

Their faces were just inches apart when Stella spoke in a deadly serious tone. "I will kill you if you don't cook for me from now on."

His food had in fact rendered Stella unconscious, but unlike what Ikki thought, his food had overloaded her senses. Never in her entire life had she tasted anything so divine. She felt like her cooking was third rate compared to Ikki's.

Ikki still confused asked, "What? You mean you like my cooking?"

"Ikki, your cooking could be outlawed it's so addicting. Never in my life have I tasted something so wonderful. If I have anything negative to say it's that this is the first time I've had your cooking. You were capable of this for four years, but never once shared your culinary genius with me. That is unforgiveable! As punishment, for the rest of our lives, you have to cook every meal when we cook." Stella firmly stated, crossing her arms with a look of triumph on her face. She was confident that Ikki wouldn't object. His response left her speechless.

"I won't. I'm sorry Stella, but I refuse." Ikki stated more firmly than Stella.

A little upset that he denied her wish, though it was presented in the form of a demand, she inquired "Why? Do you not want me to be happy?" She was being passive aggressive to get her way.

Ikki responded, "I really am sorry I can't oblige, Stella. However, I don't know what I would do if I never had your cooking again. I don't even want to think about it."

This time it was Stella's turn to blush at Ikki's compliment. At the same time she felt guilty for being passive aggressive with Ikki. She didn't know why he had denied her demand initially and only cared about getting her way. Now that she knew the reason why he denied her demand, she felt like a terrible person. Ikki saw that Stella's mood was nose-diving and quickly corrected it.

"Don't worry. The last thing I want is for my princess to be unhappy. Of course I will cook for you when you want me to, just promise that every once in a while you'll cook for me." He said as he offered her a comforting smile

Stella nodded in affirmation. She was honestly glad that Ikki still enjoyed her cooking, to the point that he would deny a request from her. She was just caught up in a moment of selfishness, but could he blame her? She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that he could still want her cooking when he possessed cooking skills on the level he did. She pushed her questioning aside; her prince wanted her cooking and she was more than happy to oblige given that he would cook for her when she wanted him to.

Stella returned to her breakfast, savoring every bite. Ikki just watched with a bright smile as she ate. He was happy to see that Stella enjoyed his cooking as much as she did. When she finished, she patted her stomach and let out a sigh of pure contentment.

She looked at Ikki and said, "I know I've already told you this, but let me reiterate. Your cooking is absolutely divine."

Ikki once again blushed at Stella's compliment before responding, "Well thank you. I'm just glad you like it."

Stella nodded in agreement, before standing up. "Well, now that breakfast is out of the way, how about we get this tour started?" Stella asked, stretching as she did.

"Yeah, that sounds nice" Ikki responded as he walked over to the door and opened it for Stella. "After you my princess" he said as he gestured for her to exit first.

"Why thank you my prince" Stella replied as she walked out of their room. With that the two began Ikki's tour of his new residence.

Stella began her tour by showing Ikki the way down the hall to the staircase that led to the main floor. Luckily for Ikki, his and Stella's room was not far from the stairs. Not too far after their room the hallway began to twist and wind, making it easier for a newcomer to become lost in the labyrinth like castle.

After making sure that Ikki was familiar with that area of the castle, Stella led him outside and took him behind the castle and into a large structure, roughly 300 x 75ft. Ikki was astonished by the sheer size of the structure before him.

Stella led him into the structure, and when Ikki saw what the obscenely large structure concealed, he could only stare like a child struck full of wonder. Stella had brought him to her family's personal indoor water park. It had nearly everything imaginable; a poolside bar, a various array of waterslides, a group of lounge chairs located under a large overhead skylight, a basketball goal on the shallow end, and a volleyball net a bit further down from the goal.

"Wow" was all Ikki was able to utter. Stella giggled at Ikki's reaction. Though she had half expected it, she still found it adorable.

Stella began, "I don't think I really need to explain what this building is. You'll see two bins by the door when you first walk in. The one on the right has clean towels and the one on the left is for used towels. The changing rooms and showers are down past the poolside bar and to the right. Finally, down on the opposite side of the pool and to the left is a sauna. That pretty much covers the indoor water park, do you have any questions?"

"Yes just one" Ikki informed Stella.

Curious as to what Ikki wanted to ask, Stella inquired, "Oh really? And what might you want to know?"

Ikki replied with a smirk, "Simple, how soon until I can see you in a bikini?"

Stella gave a wicked grin at this before she responded, "Oh, I hate to break it to you, but you won't be seeing me in a bikini."

Ikki, being his daft self couldn't connect the dots. He asked, puzzled, "Why not?"

Annoyed at Ikki's density as well as knowing she would have to say what she was implying out loud, regardless of how embarrassing it was, Stella explained, "It means I tan and swim in the nude you dense idiot!"

Ikki became flustered at hearing Stella say that. Then he got caught up in the thought of watching Stella tanning in all of her nude glory. Ikki was brought back to the present as he felt a warm and wet sensation on his lips.

He brought his hand to his lips, swiping a sample of whatever was on his lips. One look at the substance and Ikki knew it was blood; the thought of seeing Stella naked had given him a nosebleed. Stella just snickered and rolled her eyes at the turn of events.

After Ikki tended to his nosebleed, Stella continued his tour. Their next stop was her personal favorite place in the castle. She led Ikki down a beaten path through what could be considered a miniature forest at the very corner of the castle. Ikki felt like the air around him was getting oddly warmer. When they arrived at their destination, Ikki discovered why he felt a change of temperature in the air around him. It was a natural hot spring.

Stella began her explanation like with the indoor water park. "I don't think this place needs any explaining either. The only thing you need to know is that you either need to bring a towel from the house or grab one from the indoor water park before coming down here."

Ikki needed no further explanation, and told Stella to continue with the tour. Their next destination was back inside the residence. Stella led Ikki back up the stairs and beyond their room. After a few twists and turns Stella finally stopped between two large double doors.

She turned to face Ikki, informing him, "On my right is my father's study. I recommend you avoid going in by mistake instead of this next room."

Ikki, now curious as to what was behind the other door, asked, "So what's behind door number two?"

Stella decided to show and not tell. When she opened the door and Ikki got a look at what the doors concealed, his breath hitched. Inside was a bar, about twenty feet in length, made of polished oak. The bar stood out to Ikki because though it was polished, it was not trimmed, so it gave the appearance of being taken fresh from its tree. Ikki was impressed by the bar top, however, what caused his breath to hitch was what was behind the bar; Ikki was mesmerized by the sheer amount of alcohol.

The shelves were as long as the bar and there were a total of five shelves, all completely filled, but not overcrowded, with an assortment of rum, bourbon, whisky, and more.

Stella finally broke the silence saying, "So I figure that there must be something in this collection to your liking. Can I get you a glass?"

Ikki scanned the shelves looking for particular drink. He was unsuccessful in finding it, but decided to ask, reasoning that no harm could come from asking.

"Do you have any Cognac?" Ikki inquired.

"Oh, so the prince knows what he likes, does he? Well, I'm sorry to say, but we do not have any Cognac." Stella teased, but ended sadly after a brief search for the requested drink. She wished she could give him the drink he wanted, but unfortunately she could not provide it to him.

"Oh nonsense, if the boy says he wants some Cognac, then I'll be damned if he doesn't get a glass." A familiar voice gained the attention of the duo. The two turned towards the door to see the king standing in the doorframe with a glass in hand.

"What do you mean daddy?" Stella inquired.

The king wordlessly walked behind the bar and pulled out a little stepladder. He positioned it on the far side of the bar, the side that was against the wall, and ascended it. He reached for the cheapest bottle of rum in his collection and set it down on the bar below. He then took out a key from one of his pockets and inserted it into a keyhole that the bottle of cheap rum had concealed. He opened the hidden compartment and pulled out a bottle. He then stepped down from the ladder and poured a glass of the hidden bottle before returning it to its hiding place and locking it in the hidden compartment.

He stored the stepladder under the bar, then walked over to Ikki and handed him the glass. "One glass of Isle De Ré Cognac for the young man" the king declared as Ikki took the glass.

"Thank you your majes… I mean thanks dad." Ikki told the king as he raised his glass to propose a toast.

"Here's to a new home, a wonderful father, and the woman who is my everything. Thank you both so very much, from the bottom of my heart." Ikki proclaimed as he touched glasses with the king before taking a sip of his Cognac.

Stella teared up at Ikki's toast and the king just smiled and thought to himself, 'what a fine young man Stella has found herself. I never liked the idea of giving my daughter away to another man; I still don't. However, if it's to this man, I think I can let her go; she is an adult after all, one I am so proud to call my daughter.'

With that thought in mind, the king brought his glass to his lips and took a sip of his drink, which unbeknownst to anyone at the time, was also Isle De Ré Cognac.

The trio went their separate ways, the king to attend to his kingly duties and the duo to continue Ikki's tour of the castle. Stella brought Ikki back down to the main floor. As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Stella immediately turned to her left and led Ikki down a straight hallway. Once they reached the end of the hallway, Stella turned to a door on her right, and put her hand on the knob, but hesitated in turning it.

Ikki noticed Stella's hesitation, and placed a hand on hers, which was still on the knob. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and began to turn her hand, turning the knob in doing so. Ikki stopped when the knob was turned as far as it would go. He wanted to reassure Stella that he was there to support her, however, he would not force her to open the door if she didn't want to. It was up to her whether or not she pushed on the ready to open door.

Stella took a deep breath and gently pushed the door, causing the door to slowly reveal what it had once concealed. What Ikki saw both amazed and confused him; in the center of the room was a concert grand piano, made of Sitka spruce. The piano was absolutely gorgeous. It was illuminated by a single overhead light that enhanced the shine it gave off, but not so much so as to be blinding. At the same time Ikki was confused as to why Stella had been hesitant to show him this room. He pondered what could have possibly caused her to have any doubts.

Stella brought Ikki out of his thoughts as she spoke, "I guess you're wondering why I was a bit hesitant."

Ikki nodded in affirmation before adding, "But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just know I'm here for you whenever you need me." He offered Stella a warm smile, which she instinctively returned.

Stella was moved that Ikki put her own feelings and comfort before anything else, but she felt like he deserved to know. She also wanted to be completely open with him; he was her fiancé and she wanted him to feel like he could be completely open with her as well.

"Well, you see." Stella began, "The last time we were in a music room was after graduation when your father said all those awful things about you"

Stella was about to continue, but Ikki cut her off. "My father can say whatever he wants about me, but he insulted you and even would've have hit you had I not intervened, and I will die before I let that happen."

Stella told Ikki, clearly upset, "That's just the thing! I don't want you to associate any part of this house, any part of our life with any bad memories, especially any involving that arrogant prick."

Ikki thought for a second before responding, "I'm sorry Stella; you're right. How about I make this right and paint a good memory over the bad?"

Stella was lost at Ikki's proposal. She had no idea what he meant by what he just said. Ikki didn't wait for a response and walked over to the concert grand piano and sat down in front of it, readjusting the seat as he did.

Stella stared in disbelief as Ikki did this. "No… Are you telling me you can…"

She started before Ikki spoke up stating, "I'd like to dedicate this song to my fiancée, Stella; you are my everything. Here's to the many wonderful memories I can't wait to make with you."

After Ikki finished he began playing a sweet melodious tune. After a few bars Ikki began to sing. When his voice resonated in Stella's ears she was at a loss for words; Ikki's singing was that of an angel's.

Stella had never heard the song before, but she knew she would never forget it; My Girl, by The Temptations:

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May

I guess you'd say

What can make me feel this way?

My girl, my girl, my girl

Talkin' 'bout my girl

My girl

I've got so much honey, the bees envy me

I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees

Well, I guess you'd say

What can make me feel this way?

My girl, my girl, my girl

Talkin' 'bout my girl

My girl

Ooh

Hey, hey, hey

Hey, hey, hey

Yeah

I don't need no money, fortune or fame

I got all the riches baby, one man can claim

Well, I guess you'd say

What can make me feel this way?

My girl, my girl, my girl

Talkin' 'bout my girl

My girl

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

With my girl

I've even got the month of may

With my girl

Talkin' 'bout, talkin' 'bout

Talkin' 'bout my girl, my girl

That's all I can talk about

Is my girl.

While Ikki was still in the middle of singing, looking back at Stella with a warm smile, which she returned, neither of them noticed the figure in the door that took a picture of the moment between the two. After the figure took the picture, it exited as it had entered, silently and unnoticed.

When Ikki finished he turned to Stella who had tears streaming down her cheeks. Before he could say anything she ran up to him and tackled him off the seat.

"Stop hiding all of these talents from me!" Stella scolded him.

Ikki was about to speak but was cut off as Stella began planting a barrage of kisses all over him. Ikki was shocked at first, but quickly eased up, wrapping his arms around Stella's neck. After a few minutes of exchanging chaste kisses, the two got up to continue Ikki's tour, though they both wanted to continue their previous endeavor.

As the duo exited the music room, Stella turned to her left and headed towards the front door. She brought Ikki outside and led him to the entrance of the garden.

"I know you might think this is a garden, but you'd be wrong. I guess the best way to describe what this area is would be to call it a miniature park." Stella explained before she took Ikki's hand and pulled him onto the path before them.

She led him passed the wolf fountain and the koi pond and a zoo of bush animals, including wolves, tigers, elephants, rhinos, and the main attraction, a dragon that looked an awful lot like Peterhausen.

She slowed down as they approached a short pier on a small lake. She walked Ikki to the very edge of the pier and removed her shoes before sitting on the edge, gesturing for Ikki to do the same. Ikki followed Stella's lead and removed his shoes and sat down beside her, taking her hand into his as he did.

She nestled her head into the crook of his neck and let out a sigh of pure contentment. Ikki instinctively rested his head on hers and wrapped an arm around her. He couldn't help but smile at the scene he found himself in; it was like a scene straight out of a dream, only this was reality and Ikki couldn't have been happier.

Once again the figure from earlier poked its head out from behind a tree and took a picture of the couple as they just enjoyed being in each other's company. Once again, like back in the music room, the figure left as it had arrived, silent and unnoticed.

"Hey Stella" Ikki said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, what is it Ikki?" Stella replied, giving her fiancé her undivided attention.

"Thank you for today. This castle was really intimidating when I first arrived. Now that's not the case; because of you it's starting to feel more like a second home." Ikki said with a blush

Stella was a bit confused and hurt at this. She thought Ikki was saying that he couldn't think of her house as his own. Ikki saw Stella's expression sadden and immediately knew that Stella mistook what he had said. It was true that he was dense, but not even Ikki was that dense.

"When I said second home I didn't mean that this place will never be my home. I should've explained that I already have a first home that can never be replaced. My home is wherever you are. Stella, if I'm beside you then I'm where I belong; I'm home whenever I'm with you." As Ikki finished his confession he could feel his already evident blush intensify.

Stella felt like an idiot. This was Ikki she was dealing with, someone who valued her emotions more than his own life. Of course what he said only stemmed from how much he loved her and she just misinterpreted what he said and jumped to a hasty conclusion like she always did. She wrapped her arms around Ikki and pulled him in to a sideways embrace.

Ikki once again broke the silence, addressing Stella, "Hey Stella? There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about, but I've been waiting for the right time, and I think that time is now."

Stella replied immediately and eagerly, "Of course love! You can ask me anything."

Ikki began, "Well…

Author's Note: Yes I know how awful I am for leaving y'all with another cliffhanger. I hope y'all will forgive me. Just hang on for one more month.

If anyone guessed that My Girl might have been a song I sang when I was in choir, you would be correct and I give you high praise for your sharp eye. In regards to Ikki's cooking abilities, drink preference, and musical talent, I don't want to give Ikki any abilities that the viewers couldn't see him possessing, but I also want to add some personal touches to this fanfic.

To anyone who knew what anime Peterhausen was from without having to look it up, awesome! I really loved his design; he wasn't a cliché dragon, but still looked badass to me, not to mention how much I loved his character. For those of you who didn't know or didn't look up what anime he's from, I recommend you watch Demon King Daimao.

Who could this picture taker be? Why are they taking these pictures? Also, what does Ikki want to talk to Stella about? Find out all this and more in the next chapter. Until then, stay you my friends.


	6. Wedding Planning of a Failed Knight

Romance of a Failed Knight

Author's note: I'm going to be painfully honest here; the thought of writing this chapter intimidates me. Looking at my chapter layout there are a few chapters that I think are going to be difficult for me to write. This is taking into account that I try to have each chapter be at least 4000 words long. Well, enough stalling; I hope I don't disappoint with chapter 6. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Chivalry of a Failed Knight; that includes characters, the plot, etc. Nor do I own any of the characters or any part of the anime, which my surprise character is from. :)

Chapter 6: Wedding Planning of a Failed Knight

Previously, in chapter 5,

Ikki once again broke the silence, addressing Stella, "Hey Stella? There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about, but I've been waiting for the right time, and I think that time is now."

Stella replied immediately and eagerly, "Of course, love! You can ask me anything."

Ikki began, "Well…"

"Well now that we've graduated and have our living arrangements settled, I've been wanting to talk to you about our wedding." Ikki informed Stella, looking down at his reflection on the surface of the water.

He swirled his foot nervously on the water's surface, distorting the once clear image. Stella was a bit shocked; not at what Ikki had asked, but rather at his demeanor. Ikki was not the type of person who exhibited signs of nervousness. Sure, he got nervous from time to time, but never had his nervousness been so evident in his actions. This showed Stella just how important their wedding was to him. That thought alone was enough to make Stella's heart flutter and feel more love and adoration for her fiancé, if that were even possible.

Stella replied, causing Ikki to look up from the water and into her eyes, "Alright love, that would make me very happy; it brings me one step closer to being your wife. So, where do you want to start?"

Ikki would usually be flustered beyond belief at what Stella had just said, but just thinking of being able to call Stella his wife unconsciously put a grin on his face, despite how bold what Stella had just said was.

"Well, I guess we should start with the basics; when and where the wedding will be." Ikki told Stella.

Truth be told there was a specific date that he really wanted to have their wedding on, but he wanted to see if Stella had any date in mind. Though he really wanted to have their wedding on said date, if Stella had a particular day she wanted to have their wedding on, then he would bury his desire so that his princess had her way.

"Well, there isn't really any date I have in mind for when we should have our wedding, however, that is not the case for where." Stella replied with a smirk.

Curious as to where his fiancée had in mind Ikki asked, "Oh really, and where might you have in mind?"

"Well in the castle there's a middle age style church; that's where I want to have our wedding." Stella answered timidly.

Ikki looked at his fiancé and asked, "And why does my princess want our wedding in a middle age style church?"

Stella replied confidently, "That's the exact reason. I am your princess and you are my prince charming. Actually, I guess you would be better described as a knight seeing as you did graduate. Yeah, that's it, you're my graduated knight in shining armor."

Ikki blushed at Stella's remark, but gave a nod nevertheless.

"Okay, that takes care of where. I have an idea of when we could have it. That is if you don't have a specific date you want. If that's the case then…" Ikki was cut off by a flick to the forehead provided by Stella.

Ikki looked at his fiancée before she explained, "Your selflessness is one of the reasons why I fell in love with you, but you need to think of yourself sometimes. If you have an opinion or desire, vocalize it, even if, no, especially if it contradicts one of my own. I want to be open in our relationship; I want you to know you can open up and tell me anything."

Ikki held his head in shame, but only briefly. He picked his head up, resolve shining in his eyes. He was determined to be open with Stella; he owed it to her. After all, if he hadn't been open with his feelings the two of them might not be in the relationship they were in currently.

Ikki turned to Stella and said, "I was thinking we could have our wedding in late August."

Stella replied, mocking Ikki's previous questioning, "Oh, and why does my prince want a late August wedding?"

Ikki replied without needing a moment to think, "Well that's easy, Stella. It was four years ago in late August when I first met you."

Stella couldn't fight the smile that graced her lips at hearing Ikki's reasoning for wanting the wedding when he did.

"I love it! Let's have our wedding in late August! Only question now is what day in August." Stella replied cheerfully.

Ikki brought his hand to his chin and began pondering a possible solution to the predicament that lay before the duo. He thought for a few moments before proposing, "I know; how about we get married on August 31st?"

Stella, not knowing where he came up with that date, asked, "Any reason in particular you propose that day?"

Ikki looked up at the sky, a smile of pure contentment on his face. He answered Stella, not averting his gaze from the endless sea of blue above, "I think that getting married on the very last day of the month is a great way to mark the start of something new."

"And what might that something new be?" Stella asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear Ikki say the words for her to hear.

Ikki turned to Stella and stared lovingly into her eyes as he replied, "Our life together as a family; but you already knew that, didn't you?" Ikki smirked as he finished.

Stella turned red; she hadn't expected Ikki to see through her plan so easily; this was Ikki for crying out loud; the most dense when it came to obvious things, yet here he was decoding her plan like a master hacker. Then it hit her; it was Ikki, but they were dealing with a matter that he cared about and knew that Stella cared for deeply as well. Of course he would see through her from the very beginning, it's what Ikki did.

Stella let out a sigh of amusement at her defeat before saying, "Yeah. When it comes to my emotions I really can't get anything by you, can I?"

Ikki lightly chuckled before he answered, "Nope. When it comes to my princess, it is my responsibility to ensure your happiness; that means I have to know what you want or when you're signaling me to do or fix something." As he finished, Ikki held his head high, non-verbally claiming his victory.

Stella playfully rolled her eyes at her fiancé's antics, which she found absolutely adorable. She found her mind drifting aimlessly before it was brought back to attention by a question from Ikki.

"So, do you have any thoughts on a theme for our wedding?" Ikki asked.

Stella looked dumbfounded at him. Ikki presumed this to mean she didn't have any ideas either. He would come to regret that assumption.

He began, "Well, seeing as we both have no ideas, I think…" Ikki trailed off. When he turned to Stella she still wore the same dumbfounded face she did earlier.

Concerned, he asked her, "Stella, are you alright?"

Stella responded, "Yeah, just amazed at how you can go from being able to pick up the faintest clue of me wanting something to being so stupidly blind as to not be able to see the answer that is right in front of you."

Ikki tilted his head, confused, and asked, "Okay, what did I miss?"

Stella responded, clearly annoyed, "You idiot! Our wedding theme is medieval! I already said you were my graduated knight in shining armor and I'm your princess. So, great theme isn't it?" Stella asked as she folded her arms across her chest victoriously.

"Yeah Stella, that's a great idea, but do I have to wear a suit of armor?" Ikki asked, his wanting to not wear a suit of armor evident in his voice.

Stella thought of teasing him. She knew he would wear one if that were what she wanted, but she decided against it. She raised a hand and lightly slapped the back of his head in a playful manor before saying, "No you dummy. I want to see your handsome face on our wedding. However, that doesn't mean you won't be wearing the suit eventually. I have some plans for you involving that armor." Stella said lustfully, with a wicked smirk and a look of wanting.

Ikki's face grew bright red; yes, he was as dense as a pile of bricks, but not even he was THAT daft.

Stella laughed cheekily. She had expected Ikki to react similarly to how he did, but not to the extent. In the end Stella knew she would wait for what they both wanted, but for the mean time she just enjoyed teasing Ikki.

Stella, allowing her moment of teasing to pass said, "Okay, so what's the next order of business?"

Ikki recovered from his brief panic. What Stella didn't know was that his reaction was to his own thoughts. He had to suppress his desires. He wanted to take her, then and there after the look she had given him, but he promised to wait and keep their relationship pure, which was no small task.

"Well, I guess we should handle guests next." Ikki replied.

He was a bit sad to think about guests; he didn't have any family or friends aside from Alice and his sister who he wanted to invite. This proposed a problem because of the two people mentioned one was his sister and the other identified himself with the opposite sex, or at least Ikki thought, he wasn't sure. Regardless, he didn't think Alice would be a good best man and his sister was genetically unable to. He pushed the thought aside; he would deal with that later. Right now he was working out what guests he and Stella were going to invite to their wedding.

Seeing her fiancé's mood suddenly change at the change of topic, Stella immediately knew what was bothering Ikki.

She again wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a sideways embrace. "I'm sorry love. I know you don't have very many people to invite. I hope that me being here for you is enough, but I won't hold it against you if it isn't. I can't imagine how you feel after all those years of isolation and I don't see how one person could fix that." As she said this, Stella herself felt sad, both at the thought of how Ikki was feeling and thinking that she wasn't enough to heal the wound left by his past.

Ikki saw that his subtle mood shift had also made Stella sad and he mentally cursed himself for not being able to conceal his emotions better.

"Stella, you are all I need in this world. When I'm with you, I don't feel the pain of the loneliness from my past, the only thing I feel is the love and warmth of your company. I don't care if I don't have anyone to invite to our wedding or any other event. All I need is you, so don't go thinking that you're not enough." Ikki told Stella, trying to lift her spirits.

Stella looked at Ikki and offered a warm smile. His ability to notice when something was bothering her, know what exactly was bothering her, and what to say to make her feel better never ceased to amaze her. It was like Ikki had a sixth sense when it came to her.

In a better mood Stella decided to continue their previous conversation. "Okay love, I won't. Now, about that guest list…"

After they discussed people they wanted to attend their wedding the two decided to call it a night as the sun had set and they were both exhausted physically and mentally from their day.

In the end the guest list was fairly short. The females invited consisted of Kurono, Kagami, Tohka, Yuuri-Chan, Ayase, a couple of Stella's childhood friends, and Nene, though Stella made a note to have Kurono keep a close eye on her since she knew how mischievous Nene could be. Shizuku was of course going to attend, but Stella was going to ask her to be the maid of honor.

The only males that would be at the wedding were Ikki, Stella's father, and Alice. Ikki decided he didn't need a best man; Stella was enough for him. As long as he had her he wouldn't have to worry about losing it.

Ikki was a bit concerned that Stella would be upset at the lack of guests but she assured him that the only people she needed there were him, her father, and the pastor.

As the two walked back to the castle they continued their planning.

"So what about catering? Is there anywhere you have in mind?" Stella asked as the duo walked hand in hand.

Ikki replied, "Actually, the place I used to work at can cater for us. They usually wouldn't cater, but when I joined the cooking force the owner pulled me aside after a few weeks. He told me that since I had started that profits had more than doubled and were nearing tripling. He offered his gratitude and asked if there was anything he could do for me. I told him about the wedding and asked if they could cater."

Stella cut Ikki off, asking curiously, "What did he say?"

Ikki smiled as he replied, "Aside from being surprised that I was engaged at my age, he said he would be honored to cater our wedding, that is if that's alright with you, Stella."

Stella thought for a second then replied, "After experiencing your cooking, I trust your culinary judgment. If you think that they'd be good for our wedding then I'm alright with it."

Ikki nodded before asking, "Is there anything you specifically want?"

Stella replied with a smirk, "I already told you that I trust your culinary judgment, so I'll leave this to you, okay?" Ikki nodded in affirmation. He was a bit relieved his options were open; he would make sure Stella would have a meal that she wouldn't soon forget.

"So I believe most of our ducks are in a row, I think there's just one thing left; though it is the most important part of the entire wedding." Ikki said, continuing to look forward as the duo continued walking home.

"Oh, and what's that?" Stella asked, eager to hear what he thought was the most important part of their entire wedding.

"And you call me dense." Ikki mocked.

Stella turned to protest, but Ikki never gave her the chance. She turned, but his lips met hers. Had Ikki predicted Stella's reaction? Regardless, Stella didn't care; she was too wrapped up in their kiss, feeling her love and adoration towards Ikki grow with each passing second.

Eventually Ikki broke the kiss, despite both Stella and him wanting to continue.

Stella looked up into Ikki's eyes as he spoke, "My beautiful bride in her wedding dress; that is the most important part of the wedding to me. Though I know that when I first see you in your dress that your breathtaking beauty will transcend words." Ikki informed Stella as he offered her a warm smile that she swore lit up the entire vicinity.

Stella's cheeks burned as they lit up like a bright red firework. Ikki's words only served to reiterate his earlier message that the only person he needed in the world was Stella. She was overjoyed at his words and couldn't fight back the tears of joy. Before Ikki could voice his concern Stella tackled him for a second time that day, planting kisses all over his face. This time, however, Ikki had been somewhat prepared. He held Stella in his arms as they fell to the ground.

After Stella finished showing Ikki her appreciation, she got up, dusted herself off and offered Ikki a hand which he gladly took. The two once again intertwined their hands and continued heading to the house.

"So, do you have any plans for when you're going to go dress shopping?" Ikki asked as the two neared the door.

Stella paused as she reached for the handle before answering, "I guess next weekend. I'll call a few of the girls and see if they want to accompany me." Stella turned the knob and pushed the door open.

"That sounds like a plan. I guess I'll go tux shopping while you're out dress shopping." Ikki said as he gestured for Stella to enter first.

Stella did as offered, "Well then, I guess I'll call the girls tomorrow and make the arrangements, but for now I'm tired. I don't know if I can make it to our room." Stella said teasingly, but knowing just how Ikki would react.

Before she knew it Stella was in Ikki's arm bridal style. "Is my princess tired? We have had a long day, would you like me to carry you?" Ikki replied, holding Stella close to him.

Stella merely nodded before nestling her head against his chest. Ikki made his way up to their room, but before he had even gotten to the stairs to the second level of their room Stella was sound asleep.

"Don't go Ikki, Mayumi and I want you to stay, right sweetie?" As she said this Stella held on to his shirt tightly.

Ikki didn't know how many shades of red there were, but he was fairly certain he turned each and every one of them. Unbeknownst to Stella at the time Ikki had always wanted to be the father of a little girl, and here Stella was dreaming about it.

After regaining his composure Ikki leaned down and gave Stella a kiss on the forehead and said, "Don't worry, daddy's not going anywhere."

With that Stella loosened her grip a bit, but still held on to him firmly. In fact, when Ikki placed her on her side of their bed he had to slip out of his shirt to free himself from her grip. Once Ikki was out of his shirt Stella brought it up to her and snuggled with it. Ikki couldn't help but grin at how his fiancée acted in her sleep.

He bent down and gave her a kiss as he said, "Good night my princess." With that he crawled into his side of the bed, wrapped an arm around Stella and drifted off to sleep.

A week had passed and Stella and Ikki were heading to their separate limos that were waiting for them in the driveway. By one of the limos was a line of girls. Shizuku, Kurono, and Nene had shown up to go dress shopping with Stella. The only person outside the other limo was its driver. Today Ikki was going to be tux shopping by himself.

Stella was not a fan of the thought of being separated. She knew she would be fine, but she was concerned for Ikki. She told him that if he even thought he might be getting lonely to call her and she would drop whatever she was doing and just talk to him until her voice had comforted him.

Ikki was touched that Stella cared so much about him, but this was her day and he was determined to not interrupt her. Ikki's thoughts were brought back to reality as an unknown force nearly knocked him to the ground. Shizuku had run up to him the moment she saw him to give him a hug.

"Ikki, it's been too long! I hope you've been well!" Shizuku exclaimed as she tightened her grip around Ikki.

Ikki pried himself from Shizuku's vice like grip to greet and respond to her, but most importantly to help dissipate the dark aura he could feel emitting from Stella.

"It's good to see you, Shizuku. I have been well, thank you. I would stay and chat for a bit, but today is Stella's day, so I don't want to hold you ladies," Ikki replied.

Shizuku didn't budge; she just looked at Ikki and asked with concern in her voice, "Are you sure you'll be alright on your own? I can always call Alice and he'll be there at a moments notice."

Ikki shook his head. "I already told you, this is Stella's day, not mine. So take good care of her and don't worry about me." Ikki said, offering a reassuring smile to his sister.

Shizuku sighed before saying, "Well, there's no point in arguing, once you've made up your mind there's no changing it."

Ikki nodded triumphantly. He walked over to Stella and took her hand in his. He led her to the limo, but before she got in he pulled her into a deep passionate kiss. He was going to miss Stella; just the mere thought of being separated from her tore him apart. He decided that a goodbye kiss would send them both off on a good note.

The two were interrupted as a voice broke their moment. "My, can these two keep their hands off each other?" Nene teased from the limo.

Kurono grabbed her by the ear and pulled her into the car whilst scolding her, "Don't tease them you walking public indecency!"

Nene cried as she was dragged into the limo, "Okay, I was only joking, don't pull so hard!"

Ikki and Stella broke their kiss, both flustered at Nene's comment. Ikki helped Stella into the limo and offered her a warm smile.

"Have fun. I'll see you back here when you're done shopping." Ikki said.

Stella only nodded, fighting back tears as her limo pulled out of the driveway and Ikki faded from her vision. She wasn't without his company for more than a minute and she already missed him, but that's why she had three other women with her. They would help ease her anxiety; she just prayed that Ikki would be okay.

Ikki took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead of him; he was sure it was going to be a long one. Not because it would take long acquiring a tux, but because he didn't think Stella would be done anytime soon. Ikki stepped into his limo and stretched out; he thought it would be best for him to just relax and not over stress. Ikki already knew what he was looking for in a tux. All he needed was a traditional three piece with a crimson vest and tie to match Stella's hair.

After an hour, the limo pulled up to a row of shops, stopping just before the desired shop. The driver unbuckled and began to get out to get Ikki's door, but Ikki stopped him. He told the driver not to worry about his door and to just park and wait for him. The driver nodded as he buckled and scanned the lot for available parking that would suffice for a limo. Ikki stepped out of the limo and the driver pulled away in search of parking. Ikki looked up at the sign above the store; it read: Savvi Formalwear.

As Ikki walked in he was greeted by the scent of fine fabric and a young women, about his age. She was a bit taller than Stella, but still shorter than Ikki. She had long straight blonde hair that came down to a few inches before her hip and her eyes were a piercing deep blue.

She walked up to him and offered a smile. "Hello sir, welcome to Savvy Formalwear. What can I help you with today?"

Ikki smiled back at the young woman before replying, "Yes ma'am, I need a tux for an upcoming wedding."

"Oh you don't have to call me ma'am, I can't be much older than you. Please, call me Erica and may I ask who's getting married?"

Ikki just raised his hand, looking down as he felt the blood rush to his cheeks. Erica was a bit shocked at this; she didn't expect Ikki to be engaged at his age.

She quickly regained her professional demeanor and asked, "Alright, and who's the lucky lady?"

Ikki looked up and shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Erica replied with a chuckle, "Nonsense. I've helped people who were unlikely matches. So what is she, the head of a big company, a famous actress? No, don't tell me. She's an professional athlete?"

Ikki shook his head, saying, "No. Do you really want to know?" Erica nodded her head eagerly.

Ikki began, "You know the kingdom, about an hour from here?"

Erica once again nodded, replying, "Yeah, Vermillion. I've always dreamed of visiting it, but have never gotten the chance. Why do you ask?"

Ikki took a deep breath before answering, "Well I'm marrying the princess of Vermillion, Stella." Ikki looked at Erica who was searching for any sign of deceit; she found none.

"Oh my." was all Erica could say before passing out. Thankfully Ikki was quick to react and caught her before she hit the ground.

When she finally came to, Erica realized she was not where she had passed out. Ikki had carried her to a couch in the store and laid her down. While she was still unconscious Ikki had placed a cool towel over her head and had a glass of water ready for her when she woke up. In the time between him caring for her and her waking up Ikki had taken a look around the store, searching for what he had come there in the first place to find.

Ikki's attention was brought back to Erica as she spoke, "I can see why a princess would want to marry you. You're a very kind hearted and earnest person aren't you?"

Ikki again shrugged his shoulders as he walked over to check on Erica. "I just do what I think is right and I put my all into it, that's it."

Erica laughed as she replied; "I guess I should add humble to that list."

Ikki knelt down beside her and asked, "Are you feeling better, Erica?"

She nodded her head as she stood up. "I am, thank you. I'm sorry I passed out on you. I was just so happy to find out that I was going to be helping a prince pick a tux for his wedding. I've always dreamed of helping with a royal wedding. Guess I didn't think that would ever happen, but here you are."

"Well, I'm glad I can help you fulfill one of your dreams. I hope you don't mind, but while you were unconscious I took a look around and found the tux I would like, all I need is to be fitted." Ikki told her, hoping she wouldn't be offended.

"Of course not. What tux did you pick?" Erica asked.

Ikki pointed to one of the displays that held a tux that fit his exact requirements.

Erica smiled and nodded. She then began to take Ikki's measurements. Once she was finished she wrote his numbers on a piece of paper and put them into a drawer.

"Alright, that about wraps things up. Your tux should be ready in about a week; I'm sure it will fulfill the role you desire it to." Erica said as she closed the drawer.

Ikki replied, "Sounds good. How much do I owe you?"

Erica's face turned red before she replied, "About that… I don't want your money; rather I would like to ask a favor of you. If you don't want to that's fine. I still don't want your money; consider it thanks for taking care of me while I was unconscious."

Ikki was confused, but didn't show it. He inquired, "Depends on what the favor is."

Erica took a deep breath before she continued, "I would like to attend your wedding. I know this is sudden, but as I told you, ever since I was a little girl I've dreamed of venturing to the kingdom of Vermillion and here's my best chance; I just can't let it slide without trying."

Ikki stood silent for a minute, processing what he had just heard and thinking of what course of action would be best.

"Erica, you seem like a very nice young woman and I personally wouldn't mind you attending the wedding." Erica's face lit up when she heard this, but before she could vocalize her happiness Ikki continued, "However, this is not my call to make alone. I would be more than willing to talk to Stella about it, but I can't guarantee that she'll approve."

Erica smiled; she thought that Stella was a lucky girl to be marrying Ikki. He was kind but also considerate of how his actions affected others.

"Thank you!" Erica exclaimed as she gave Ikki a hug; she couldn't contain her excitement anymore.

Realizing that she might be overstepping her boundaries she quickly broke their embrace and apologized profusely. Ikki couldn't help but smile at Erica's reaction.

"No worries, Stella isn't here so there's nothing to worry about." Ikki joked, but knew that if Stella were there that it would be no joking matter.

Ikki was about to walk out the door, but he stopped when he heard Erica's voice.

"Oh, one more thing, if it's not too much to ask do you think you could ask your fiancée if I could have a plus one? It's my boyfriend, if that would help ease any anxiety my presence would cause." Erica requested.

Ikki nodded as he replied, "Sure, no problem." Ikki began to smirk as he said one last thing before he walked out the door. "Oh, Erica, you might want to check your pocket." With that he left and made his way back to the limo.

Erica was confused as to why Ikki wanted her to check her pocket. When she did she couldn't help but laugh. In her pocket was not only enough money to cover the tux, but a generous tip as well. She figured he must have slipped it in her pocket when she hugged him.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes as she spoke aloud. "That sneaky bastard."

Ikki opened the door of the limo and got in, stretching out to get comfortable. He jolted up and hit his head on the roof as a voice he wasn't expecting broke the silence.

"My, what an interesting turn of events." Nene teased.

After Ikki let his heart rate drop from its dangerously high level he responded, "Nene, what are you doing here. I thought you were supposed to be dress shopping with Stella."

Nene smirked as she replied, "Yes, but things are always more interesting around you. I mean, look at what just happened."

Ikki just sighed as he settled back down. He found it pointless to argue with Nene. First of all she was just as stubborn as Stella. Second, nothing he could say would change the fact that she was there now. Ikki decided to just relax. He informed the driver that they were ready and he pulled out of his parking spot and headed back to the castle.

"That bitch!" Kurono yelled as she threw the doll of Nene across the room.

Stella walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright Kurono, as long as I have you and Shizuku I'll be fine." Stella reassured.

Kurono calmed down and responded, "Fine, but that still doesn't make this any more acceptable. I mean why come in the first place if you're just going to leave when you're tired."

Stella sighed before she replied, "Can you really blame her? I've tried on more than a dozen dresses and we've been here for more than four hours. I myself am at my wits end."

Shizuku got up from her seat and walked over to Stella. "It's alright. You just want to look your best, and no one can blame a bride for wanting to look perfect on their big day. I know that my brother will think you are the pinnacle of beauty when he sees you in whatever dress you pick. Hell, he thinks you're the pinnacle of beauty no matter what you wear."

Stella smiled at Shizuku. She was right, it didn't matter to Ikki what dress Stella wore. No matter what dress she picked she knew that Ikki would find her to be beautiful in it. Stella took a deep breath and regained her composure. She told herself that she needed to look for a dress that she felt beautiful in, that was all. She didn't need to be concerned with how other people viewed the dress, certainly not Ikki.

After two more hours and another half dozen dresses, Stella found the dress that women dream of finding, the one that fits them not only in size but compliments their personality; the dress known as the one. When Stella walked out to show the other girls, Shizuku gasped and held her hand over her mouth and fought back the tears that desperately wanted to flow. Shizuku wordlessly nodded her head in approval so that Stella would not mistake her reaction for something it wasn't.

Kurono didn't even try to fight the tears.

"You look so beautiful!" She cried as she ran up and gave Stella a big hug.

The dress in question was a strapless georgette dress. Starting from the bottom, the entire end of the dress was embroidered with silver lace designed to look like a surrounding flame. The fire was shallow all around the dress except for two places in the front of the dress, which rose, giving off the impression of walking through fire. As one examined the dress, the embroidering ceased at the torso, which was like the bottom half, pure white georgette, just without the design. On her head was a traditional veil that covered her face, but didn't hinder her vision. She truly was the pinnacle of beauty in that dress.

Stella looked at the clock that was in the room she had been trying dresses in. Noticing how late it was, she had been gone for almost eight hours, she hurried out of her dress. Yes she loved her dress, but she loved Ikki even more and he was probably waiting for her back at the castle. She wouldn't be surprised if he was asleep, but she just wanted to be in his company as soon as possible.

She quickly paid for the dress and left it there to be tailored. After everything was taken care of Stella bolted towards the limo. There was still an hour and a half drive left to get back to the castle. The other girls hurried behind her. They knew why she was in a rush and did not want to invoke the wrath of a woman wanting to return to her significant other, especially if that woman was Stella.

As the limo pulled up to the castle what Stella saw almost made her cry. Sitting on the steps leading into the castle was Ikki who greeted them with a wave. Before the limo even came to a complete stop Stella opened her door and ran at a full sprint towards Ikki. He got up as Stella leapt into his arms. He held her at her waist and spun her around.

When he placed her down she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into an eagerly awaited kiss. The duo paid no mind to the commotion coming from the other girls and just relished in being back in each other's company.

The two eventually separated, though they didn't want to stop anytime soon, they had guests to bid farewell to and seeing that it was already late it would have been rude to keep them waiting any longer. As Stella and Ikki gave each girl a hug goodbye Nene teased Ikki once more.

"Don't forget to tell Stella about your new female friend." Nene said with a smirk.

It was a cold night, but when Ikki felt an unknown warmth he feared for his life. He knew the heat was emanating from Stella who had amassed a good bit of flame around her.

Ikki was quick to defend himself saying, "Not like that! It's just the girl who fitted me for my tux! She just wanted to attend our wedding."

Ikki felt a sweat drop crawl down his forehead. He had intended to talk to Stella about that, but things didn't start how he wanted them to.

Nene was rolling on the ground laughing uncontrollably. Stella noticed this and realized that she had just been tricked for the purpose of Nene's entertainment. Stella dissipated the flames around her and began to apologize profusely; first to the group of girls (minus Nene) then especially to Ikki.

Kurono, tired of Nene's shenanigans, once again grabbed her by the ear and dragged her to the car they had brought to the castle.

"That's enough trouble from you for today you damned public indecency." Kurono once again scolded.

Kurono didn't give Nene a chance to respond as she shut the door on her and motioned for her to stay put. Kurono walked back and apologized for all the trouble Nene had caused and gave everyone a hug goodbye. With that Kurono returned to her car and drove off.

Shizuku gave Stella a hug goodbye, then turned to Ikki and gave him a particularly long hug, which irked Stella. Ikki then walked her to a car that Alice had his family send. He then went back to Stella's side and the duo waved as their last guest departed the castle grounds. Stella was still a bit embarrassed from her earlier behavior.

Ikki saw this and wrapped her in a tight embrace and assured her, "It's alright. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. That wasn't your fault, Nene's… well Nene, so yeah, you're good."

Stella smiled at Ikki's assurance and returned the embrace.

"So do you want to explain the whole situation with this new acquaintance of yours?" Stella asked curiously.

As the duo walked to their room Ikki explained the events that had transpired on his end. When he finished Stella couldn't contain her laughter. She told Ikki that she would be okay with that, but would like to meet Erica before the wedding. Ikki nodded and began getting ready for bed and Stella followed suit. When the two crawled into bed, neither of them spoke a word, they just snuggled with each other and quickly succumbed to slumber.

Author's note: Holy cow! This chapter started off concerning me that it wouldn't be long enough, yet here it is, the longest chapter I've written so far. I would like to extend my gratitude towards my new editor, crimsonboop, for her help in both the editing department and for her input in general. She actually helped me decide the name Stella said in her sleep (Mayumi), so y'all have her to thank for that. Also, I commend anyone who knew Erica was from Campione!

Well, that about sums up my post chapter thoughts. I look forward to the next chapter; so far it's my personal favorite. Until then, stay you my friends.


	7. Anniversary of a Failed Knight

Romance of a Failed Knight

 **IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:** So, at the end of this chapter there is another author's note that contains **VERY** crucial and important news, so please be sure to read it. Well, y'all will get to it when you get to it, so... Without further ado, ladies and gentleman, I present ch. 7. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Chivalry of a Failed Knight; that includes characters, the plot, etc.

Chapter 7: Anniversary of a Failed Knight

When Stella woke up she immediately noticed something was wrong, Ikki no longer had a hand wrapped around her and her back was no longer snuggled against his chest. Stella turned around and noticed that not only was Ikki no longer holding her, he wasn't even in their bed.

Stella scanned their room for any signs as to where Ikki might have gone. After her search yielded no results, Stella decided to get up and head downstairs in search of Ikki. However, before she could even remove the covers from on top of her, she heard Ikki address her from downstairs.

"I'm right here, so don't you dare get out of that bed." Ikki demanded.

Stella, confused and a bit curious, stealthily began to remove the cover from on top of her.

"I hear you trying to remove those covers!" Ikki playfully shouted at Stella.

She was amazed and a bit frightened that Ikki was able to hear her from downstairs. She had executed her actions perfectly, not making a noise any louder than the covers slowly being dragged off of her, yet his ears were still able to pick it up. Realizing she couldn't beat Ikki, Stella decided to just get comfortable and wait to see why her fiancé wanted her to stay in bed.

After a few minutes of waiting, Stella heard footsteps making their way up the stairs; presuming they belonged to Ikki she eagerly awaited his imminent arrival. When Ikki came up he was holding a tray, but Stella couldn't see what was on it because of their difference in elevation, her laying in bed and him standing. He walked over to her and placed the tray on her lap.

"Happy Anniversary, Stella." Ikki said with a bright smile.

His words were simple, but the fact that he had remembered their anniversary amongst all the chaos of the past few weeks meant the world to her.

She looked up at Ikki lovingly and replied, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, "Happy Anniversary, Dear."

Having a serious question Stella regained some composure before asking, "By the way, did you actually hear me trying to get out of bed from downstairs?"

Ikki wore a wide grin, as he responded, "No, but I figured you would try to sneak out. Judging by your lack of a response when I called you out, I'm guessing I was right."

Stella just rolled her eyes and sighed at her fiancé's antics before saying, "I'm surprised you remembered considering how hectic these past few weeks have been."

Ikki responded with a smile, "How could I forget? It was four years ago today that I told you that I liked you when I was hospitalized after my match with Kirihara. I can't tell you how happy I was to hear that you felt the same way towards me."

Stella protested, "Hey! That's my line!"

Ikki laughed before responding, "No, that would be your line if you had confessed to me, but I did, so in turn it is my line."

Stella was about to defend her claim, but stopped as a heavenly aroma filled the air. She then realized that she had forgotten that Ikki had placed a tray on her lap. She had yet to take the time to look at what was on the tray because she hadn't taken her eyes off of Ikki ever since he had said 'happy anniversary'." She removed the lid of the tray with great speed, already knowing what the lid concealed.

Under the lid, once again arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner, were heart shaped buttermilk pancakes, sausage, country potatoes, and a glass of sweet tea. Stella once again began to drool at the smell of Ikki's cooking.

Stella, realizing that she was drooling, quickly wiped the drool from her face and blushed profusely. Ikki just laughed; he was happy that Stella thought so highly of his cooking.

"Go on, before it gets cold." Ikki encouraged Stella.

She looked at the food on the tray before her, then to Ikki, uncertainty evident in her gaze.

Ikki had a good idea of why Stella was hesitant, so he reassured her, "Don't worry. I made it all for you, my princess."

Stella didn't have to be told twice, metaphorically speaking, in reality she did in fact have to be told twice. She picked up her silverware and began eating with the speed of a cheetah and the grace of a hungry school of piranhas.

This time, like a cheetah, she would eat to her hearts content in intervals as to not pass out from overloading her senses. She began to feel her eyes roll back as she let out a quiet moan. She decided to take a quick rest to allow her senses time to recover. She took a sip of her tea, thinking it would help her recovery.

That was a big mistake as unbeknownst to Stella, Ikki had also brewed the tea. The second the tea registered on her taste buds she realized the grave mistake she had made. Her eyes widened, but she couldn't help but swallow the tea, it was too good to pass up.

After she swallowed the sip of tea she held in her mouth, her vision began to fade and her head hit something soft and welcoming. That was the last thing Stella remembered before she passed out. When Stella came to she looked at her lap and saw that the tray was no longer there.

She cursed aloud, "God dammit!"

Stella nearly jumped out of bed as an arm was wrapped around her. She looked beside her and saw that Ikki was looking at her, clearly worried.

"Stella, are you alright?" He asked with genuine concern.

Stella replied, on the verge of tears, "No."

Ikki began to panic as he asked, "What's wrong!?"

Stella sniffled as she answered, "I didn't get to finish my breakfast."

Ikki breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought something was actually wrong with Stella.

Ikki laughed as he informed Stella, "Don't worry about that. I have dinner planned and I think you'll enjoy it more than breakfast."

Stella looked Ikki dead in the eyes and asked, "Are you telling me that you're going to cook for our anniversary?"

Ikki smiled as he nodded. Stella got out of bed and began jumping around, exclaiming, "Yay! I get to have your cooking again!"

Ikki could only smile at his fiancée's antics. He was glad that she was happy to have his cooking. Having a busy day planned out, Ikki encouraged Stella to start getting ready, which she did with great speed and efficiency. She couldn't wait to see what Ikki had planned for the two of them.

After the two were dressed and ready for the first half of the day, they headed out the door. The duo made their way down the stairs and out into the driveway where a limo was waiting to take them to their destination.

Ikki stepped forward and opened the door for Stella, offering her a hand for assistance. She gladly took it and situated herself inside the limo. Ikki stepped in afterwards, closing the door behind him. When Ikki got himself situated, Stella leaned against his shoulder and wrapped her arm around him, clinging to him lovingly.

"So love, where do you plan on taking me first?" Stella asked.

Ikki smirked as he responded, "Have patience. It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?"

Stella sighed in defeat. She wanted to know what Ikki had planned for them, but at the same time wanted to be surprised, making it quite literally impossible to please her at the moment.

After about a twenty-minute drive the limo pulled up to its destination. Ikki opened his door and stepped out, turning and offering Stella a hand out as he did. She gladly accepted and when she exited the limo, she was speechless. They were standing at the entrance to a public park, one Stella's father used to take her to when she was little. Did Ikki know? Stella dismissed the thought seeing as it didn't matter. What did matter was she was there with him then and she couldn't wait to start their day.

Ikki held her hand and led her through the entrance to begin their stroll through the park. Stella was mesmerized by her surroundings. The trees were tall, eliciting a quiet whistle as a light breeze danced between the saplings. She could smell the crisp lake air that the breeze carried with it, and it instantly brought back memories of her father taking her out on the rowboats that were on the lake, but she doubted they were still there after all those years. She was brought out of her reminiscing as she heard the gentle babbling of a nearby brook.

Never before had Stella felt this tranquil. She was always at ease when she was merely with Ikki. Now, however, she was with Ikki in this peaceful environment. She surmised that this was the epitome of serenity.

After a few more minutes, Ikki led Stella down a beaten path that had clearly not seen any use in years, as the brush around it was rather thick.

"Where are we going?" Stella asked confused as she continuously fought off thicket that was in her path.

"Just wait, we're almost there." Ikki replied as the two finally stepped into a clearing.

What Stella saw made her heart skip a beat. Though it was a bit run down since she last saw it, Stella was looking at the old shed by the dock that her father took her to when she was younger.

She ran passed Ikki to see if the rowboat was still tied to the post where she had last left it. Her heart sank when she saw nothing on the water beside the dock. She turned to the shed. Maybe it was in the shed. She walked up to it and tried to turn the knob on the door, but it was locked. With minimum effort, seeing that the shed was already run down, Stella kicked the door in, much to Ikki's surprise.

"Empty." She said aloud, disappointment in her voice.

Ikki walked over to the dock and sat down, dipping his toes in the cool water. He gestured for Stella to join him.

When she sat down, Ikki wrapped an arm around her and gently spoke to her. "Hey, what's wrong? Is something not here that you wanted to be?"

Stella was suspicious at first. Ikki was good at reading her emotions, so it came as no surprise that he saw that something was bothering her. However, Ikki wasn't the type to guess what was wrong, certainly not correctly on the first attempt. He was the type to be there for someone, but let him or her open up whenever he or she was ready to. She dismissed her suspicion as mere paranoia.

She explained, "Yeah. When I was a little girl my dad used to take me out here and there was this rowboat that we would take out. I was hoping that it might still be here. Guess I was wrong."

Ikki rubbed her shoulder reassuringly as he said, "I'm sorry that it's not here Stella, maybe we can… wait, what's my foot caught on?"

Ikki wondered aloud. He dragged his foot from under the dock, slowly pulling something bulky with it. When Stella saw what Ikki brought out from under the dock her face lit up with pure joy.

She exclaimed, "That's the boat! That's the exact boat! You can still see my initials etched in the side! I can't believe that we actually…" Stella stopped as she took one look at Ikki's smile. She asked, suspicion in her voice, "You planned this, didn't you?

Ikki smirked as he responded, "Who? Me? Plan what?"

That answered Stella's question. She tackled him into the boat, giving him a tight hug.

"Oh Ikki, I don't know what to say! To say I'm surprised would be a severe understatement." Stella said delightedly.

Ikki laughed and told Stella, "Well I'm just glad you're happy"

She smiled and slightly tilted her head in response. Her look was so happy and so pure that Ikki subconsciously smiled back. Ikki sat up, bringing Stella up with him. He got situated and made sure she was comfortable before he grabbed the oars and headed out to the middle of the lake.

When he thought they were far enough out that no one could hear them, so at least their conversation would be private, he stopped.

"Ikki, look at all the little ducklings! Aren't they just precious?" Stella marveled as she watched a group of ducklings circle around the boat, curious at to what this unknown object was.

Ikki simply responded, "Yeah, but not as precious as you."

Stella blushed at Ikki's compliment that came out of left field. When she turned to face him, he was reaching for something under his seat.

Unbeknownst to Stella at the time, Ikki had the king help him ensure that a couple of items were stowed in the boat for future use before he and Stella arrived. The king, wanting his daughter to have the best anniversary possible, liked Ikki's plan, so he was more than willing to oblige.

When Ikki found what he was looking for, he pulled it out. Stella was a bit confused at what Ikki presented her with. He held in front of her a loaf of bread. Stella was about to ask about this odd offering, but an insistent quacking in the background both gained her attention and answered her unasked question.

Stella took the loaf of bread and quickly removed a slice from the wrapping. She broke it up into small pieces and began to gently throw them out into the water, making a trail of bread leading to the boat. Stella had tried for many years to pet the ducklings when she fed them as a little girl, but never succeeded in doing so.

She didn't know why, but she felt lucky today. Maybe it was because it was her and Ikki's anniversary or maybe it was being back on the boat from her childhood. For whatever reason, she felt like trying again.

The ducklings approached the boat cautiously. Stella had been ready for them and had already lowered one hand filled with pieces of bread to the water's surface. Three of the ducklings broke off from the group and slowly swam towards Stella's hand.

When they reached her open palm, they hesitated for a moment, but eventually began eating the food provided to them. Stella slowly, as to not make any sudden movements, brought her free hand over the boat and towards the ducklings. She rested her hand above one of the ducklings; this was the moment of truth. She gently brought her hand down and…

 ***Pet** * * **Pet** * Stella gently patted the head of one of the ducklings. She was surprised when the duckling stopped eating, looked up at her, then returned to eating. She tried her luck on a second duckling and received the same reaction. When she did the same to the third duckling, something unexpected happened. It fluttered its wings and flew into Stella's hand and decided that it was comfortable place to rest for a bit and sat down.

Stella's face lit up like a firework with both surprise and utter joy.

She turned to Ikki, yelling in a whispered tone, "Ikki, look at this!"

She never saw his face when she turned to him. It was hidden behind a digital camera. He had been taking pictures of the entire endeavor. She brightly smiled; happy knowing that this event was documented and she had proof that she was queen of the ducklings. She had wanted to claim that title ever since she was a kid, and now, thanks to Ikki, she finally had.

After getting a few more pictures with the duckling, Stella placed it back into the water and gently patted its fluffy behind, encouraging it to go on.

"Farwell my loyal subjects." Stella joked as she waved to the ducklings as they swam off.

She turned to see Ikki kneeling in the boat.

She was about to ask what he was doing, but he spoke first, saying, "Your wish is my command, oh queen of the ducklings."

Ikki looked up and smirked at her as he said this. Stella turned a shade of crimson not far off from her hair.

"So, you knew about that, did you?" She asked embarrassingly.

Ikki laughed as he answered, "Your father might have mentioned something about it."

"Very well then. I wish for you to row us back for lunch." Stella said using what Ikki had said to her advantage.

Stella wasn't expecting the response she got.

"I am more than willing to oblige my queen, but if you would rather…" Ikki reached under his seat again and pulled out a picnic basket. "We can have lunch here." Ikki offered.

Stella looked him dead in the eyes and asked with a scarily serious tone, "Did you make it?"

Ikki smiled and nodded. With that Stella took the basket from him and opened it to discover what treasure was hidden inside.

Ikki hadn't done anything overly fancy for lunch. He had put roast pork, thinly sliced ham, melted Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard between Cuban bread, thus making a traditional Cuban sandwich. To go with the sandwiches Ikki had made home-style chips. Finally, to drink Ikki had brought some frozen water bottles that had by then thawed, leaving only crisp cold water. Stella looked awe struck at what Ikki had prepared, but this time she maintained her composure, i.e. she didn't drool.

After the two finished their lunch, Stella was at the front of the boat basking in the sun and enjoying the view. Ikki took this opportunity to locate the final item he had stowed in the boat. He wanted to surprise Stella with what he had planned to conclude their time in the park.

When Stella heard what Ikki was doing behind her, she thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but she had to confirm. When she turned around she gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. Ikki was tuning a guitar.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to my fiancée, Stella. I am the luckiest man in the world to be with someone like you. Happy Anniversary, Sweetie." Ikki said after he finished tuning the instrument.

With those words Ikki began to play a few slow and melodious bars before he started singing. Once again Stella hadn't heard this song, but was instantly in love with it.

Bless the Broken Road, by Rascal Flatts:

I set out on a narrow way many years ago

Hoping I would find true love along the broken road

But I got lost a time or two

Wiped my brow and kept pushing through

I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are

Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars

Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

(Yes He did)

I think about the years I spent just passing through

I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you

But you just smile and take my hand

You've been there you understand

It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true.

Every long lost dream led me to where you are

Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars

Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

(Yes He did)

Yeah.

Now I'm just rolling home

Into my lover's arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you.

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you.

When Ikki finished he looked at Stella who was in tears. Ikki put the guitar down and went over to Stella, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

"Ikki, that was beautiful. I love you, so much. Though your past was rough, it has made you into the man I love today and I don't want any other Ikki than the one in front of me right now." Stella said between tears.

Ikki held her tighter as he replied, "Though my past was as rough as it was, I wouldn't change a thing about it, even if I could. If I didn't have the past that I did, then I might not have ended up with you. If having the past I do is what it takes to be with you, Stella then it's a price I will gladly pay."

The two of them stayed in each other's embrace for a while longer, but eventually decided to head back in. Ikki had to prepare dinner, and he still had one more place to take Stella.

As the duo was walking back to the entrance of the park, a blonde male, a bit younger than Ikki, was walking in their direction. Ikki saw the look the boy gave Stella and kept a close eye on him, though you wouldn't have known that by looking at him. As the blonde passed the duo, Ikki saw him swing his hand back forcefully, his intentions clearly perverse.

Ikki grabbed his hand, stopping it before it reached its intended destination.

"I know you weren't about to cop a feel. This is my fiancée, so it would be in the best interest of your health to apologize to her and walk away." Ikki stated coldly and in a threatening manner.

"My bad man, I didn't know she was your fiancée." The blonde began, and then turned to Stella. "I apologize for my improper intent."

He stuck his hand out towards Ikki, offering a handshake. Ikki watched as the outstretched hand before him became a fist and was lunged at his jaw.

Ikki grabbed the man's fist with his left hand, never breaking eye contact, before saying, "So, you kinda fail at shaking hands there blondie."

The man quipped at Ikki, "And you suck at lying. Like hell this babe could be your fiancée. Get real."

"Well I did warn you about this, so you only have yourself to blame." Ikki replied evenly.

The man was confused, but was quickly reminded of Ikki's earlier warning as Ikki's right fist was buried into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Before he could regain his composure Ikki planted a roundhouse kick to his chest, sending him flying into the nearest tree, which had been about ten feet away.

The man hit the tree with a thud then fell to the ground. He propped himself up on his elbows. What he saw next rendered him speechless. Stella walked up to Ikki, grabbed his collar, and pulled him into a **long** , deep, and passionate kiss, emphasis on long. The two broke their kiss and resumed walking back to the entrance of the park. Stella looked over her shoulder at the dumbfounded male and grinned. She then put one of her hands behind her back for him to see and proceeded to flip him off.

When the duo reached the entrance they saw the limo waiting to pick them up. Stella was about to open the door, but Ikki pulled her back. She gave her fiancé a confused look.

Ikki explained, "I almost forgot, this is for you."

He handed her a white box wrapped in red wrapping paper and topped with a yellow bow. Stella looked at Ikki, but couldn't find any words.

"Go on, open it." Ikki encouraged.

Stella unwrapped her present then opened the box. She wasn't quite sure what to make of what she had just received.

In the box was a set of ribbons, both black and gold in color. She removed them from the box and examined them. They were full of flaws. She could've gone to any store and gotten better quality ribbons.

She began, "These are…" She was about to say something about their poor quality, but she realized something and changed the last word of her sentence, posing a question in doing so. "Handmade? Did you…" Stella continued, but stopped when she saw Ikki smile and nod as a blush came rushing to his cheeks.

All of a sudden the ribbons felt heavy in Stella's hands. The flaws she had once ridiculed became what made them beautiful to her. Stella could feel the tears in her eyes. Never had anyone in her entire life given her a present this thoughtful. She couldn't think of a more perfect present.

She immediately put them on and asked Ikki, wiping away her tears, "So, how do I look?"

Ikki didn't know how a simple change of ribbons made such a difference, but to him Stella seemed twice as radiant as she usually was. In truth she was, but her radiance stemmed from the pure joy she got from wearing the ribbons her fiancé made her.

"Stella, I.. I mean you… Wow." That was all Ikki was able to say.

Of all the times for words to escape him, now had to be one of those times. Stella giggled at Ikki's reaction and ran up to him, wrapping him in a firm hug.

"Thank you dear, I love them." Stella whispered as she held him tighter.

The two ended their embrace and got back in the limo and headed back to the castle. Like the drive to the park, Stella clung to Ikki's arm lovingly and rested her head on his shoulders, more than happy with how their day was turning out.

When the two returned to their room, Ikki dawned his apron and chef's hat. He gestured for Stella to get comfortable, watch TV or play pool, just as long as she relaxed as he prepared dinner.

Stella was more than happy to oblige, not wanting to get in the master chef's way. She couldn't wait to see what Ikki had planned for dinner. While Stella relaxed, Ikki began with washing and peeling some potatoes. One of the side dishes he was preparing for the night was garlic-mashed potatoes as they went well with the main dish of braised orange roughy over sautéed leeks.

After peeling, cubing, and placing the potatoes in a pot of boiling water, Ikki turned his attention towards the oven and started the preheating process. He then went over to the stove and melted the needed amount of butter in a pan, then added the chopped leeks and sprinkled a bit of sugar and thyme into the mix. He stirred that for about five minutes before he set it off to the side.

He went over to the pot filled with potatoes and drained the water after confirming that the potatoes were ready. Next he added milk, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper to the potatoes and thoroughly mashed them.

Since the potatoes were done, he covered them and placed them off to the side. He took the leeks and poured them into the baking dish that held the orange roughy. By this time the oven was preheated and ready for the fish. Ikki slid the baking dish into the oven and set the timer for eight minutes. His next step was to prepare the garden salad. He took out the necessary vegetables, those being romaine lettuce, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers.

First, he washed and cut the lettuce and added it to two bowls he had set aside for the salads. Next, he chopped the onions and cucumbers before adding them to the to be salad. He topped it off with the baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and croutons. Finally, he drizzled both salads with a light coating of ranch.

As he finished, the oven timer went off, signaling that the fish needed to be checked. After verifying that the fish was cooked, he pulled it out of the oven and set it on the counter. He took two plates and filled them with an appropriate amount of food.

Ikki looked at the plates and thought to himself, "Well, it certainly looks aesthetically pleasing. Let's just hope that it tastes as good as it looks."

Ikki set the table and brought two wine glasses to the table as well as a bottle of champagne. After all the food was set, he lit a single candle in the middle of the table and turned off all the other lights in the room.

Stella had used every ounce of her will power not to look at what Ikki was cooking. She wanted to be surprised, but the scent emanating from the kitchen made that damn near impossible for her. When the lights went out, Stella looked at the only source of light in the room and she once again had to cover her mouth as she gasped.

She slowly walked over to the table, and Ikki pulled out her chair an informed her, "Here you are milady. Tonight, the chef's special is braised orange roughy over sautéed leeks, garlic mashed potatoes, a fresh garden salad, and the finest champagne we have to offer."

He gestured for her to take a seat. She wordlessly did so and waited for Ikki to take his seat. After Ikki had pushed Stella's chair in, he made his way to his and sat down.

He opened the bottle of champagne and poured two glasses. Stella's first and then his.

Once both glasses were filled, he grabbed his and raised it in the air, proposing a toast. "To four years with the most amazing woman in the world. May we remember these past four years fondly and continue making memories we can look back on and smile at in the future. Happy Anniversary, Love."

Stella thought to herself as she raised her glass to his with a clank, "I'm glad it's dim. Maybe he won't see me cry."

"Don't think I don't know you're crying. Is everything okay Stella?" Ikki asked concerned for his fiancé.

"I really can't hide a damn thing from this man, can I?' Stella thought to herself before answering Ikki. "Yes, that was just beautiful. You really have a way with words."

Ikki shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "I just say what I think. Guess I'm just a hopeless romantic."

Stella laughed and eased up a bit before responding, "You're not hopeless, you got me, didn't ya?" She then smiled and took a sip of her champagne and began eating her dinner.

After they were finished, Stella complimented Ikki, "Wow, that was just…Wow. The fish was so tender and juicy; the leeks were sweet and melted in your mouth, complementing the fish perfectly. The mashed potatoes were fantastic. They had just enough garlic to add a little punch to the meal, but not so much as to be overpowering. The salad was fresh, crisp, and cool, which was a nice change from the soft and tender fish or the smooth mashed potatoes. I don't think I will ever have a meal this divine again. The setting is so romantic, the act of you cooking our anniversary dinner is even more romantic and to top it all off the food was all amazing and complimented each other in various ways. You are the god of culinary arts Ikki."

Ikki blushed at Stella's compliment and replied, "Wow, I didn't know you were a culinary analyst. I am glad my dinner was to your liking."

Stella smiled and nodded. Ikki looked at the time and remembered that he had one more place he wanted to take Stella.

"Hey Stella, if you're up for it I have one more place I'd like to take you." He asked, praying she would say yes.

Ikki actually had something big planned for the last destination.

"Okay. Is this attire alright?" Stella asked.

Ikki responded, relieved that Stella had agreed, "Actually, you'll need a jacket, a scarf, and some gloves."

Stella was now more curious than ever as to what Ikki had planned, but did as he said without further questioning.

When the two got outside the limo was waiting for them, door open and all. The duo climbed in and the limo pulled out, making its way to a destination unknown to Stella at the time.

After about a forty minute drive the limo finally came to a stop. The time was ten thirty, so Ikki had plenty of time before their anniversary was over to do what he had planned. When the two got out, Stella, yet again, was speechless. Ikki had brought her to an outdoor skating rink.

Stella was ecstatic on the inside. She was an amazing skater and was sure that she could finally best Ikki in something. After the two rented their skates, they stepped into the rink, which wasn't overly crowded, but wasn't anywhere close to empty.

Stella looked at Ikki and taunted, "Catch me if you can."

She then sped off as fast as she could skate. When she thought that she had gained a safe distance between her and Ikki she looked back, but didn't see him. She thought she had finally bested him. When she turned around, there he was, skating backwards of all things!

He reached forward and poked her nose, playfully saying, "Caught you."

Stella wanted to be mad, she really wanted to be mad that she was, as always, bested by Ikki, but she couldn't help but smile at how happy and playful he was. The two interlocked arms and decided to skate together for a while. It was time for Ikki to set his plan into motion.

Ikki looked up and said somberly, "You know, this reminds me of all the late nights I worked, walking home under the stars."

Stella looked at the ice, saddened by all the time she had been alone while he was out working.

"Yeah. I don't know how you felt during those nights, but it was hard for me. I was so lonely and you were always working. Just thinking about it resurfaces those painful memories." Stella confessed.

This was it. This was the opportunity Ikki needed to execute his plan. He wasted no time in taking it.

He wrapped Stella in a warm embrace and whispered to her, "Stella, I am so sorry that I put you through that. The only reason I worked was so I could make something right. I promise you, I will never let you feel lonely ever again. I swear."

Stella didn't know what Ikki was talking about, so she asked, "What did you need to right?"

Ikki simply replied, "This."

Before Stella could respond Ikki "tripped" over his own feet and slid backwards on one knee. While he did this he discreetly took something out of his pocket. Stella went up to him. It was perfect for Ikki. He looked up at her and held the black velvet box in his hand and opened it. Inside was a humble diamond ring.

"Stella Vermillion, will you marry me?"

Stella had always been conscious of her surroundings. Now she didn't even notice that every single skater had stopped and were waiting for her response. The only thing she could see was Ikki, proposing to her in a way she had always dreamed of being proposed to, thoughtfully and romantically.

Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she answered, "Yes! Yes! Of course I'll marry you."

With those words Ikki got up, removed her glove, placed the ring on her finger, which was a perfect fit, and kissed her. The entire rink was filled with applause and cheering.

The DJ even stopped the music and brought the spotlight onto Ikki and Stella before saying, "Let's hear it for the newly engaged couple."

The crowd again erupted into cheering. The DJ continued, "This song is for you two, I hope you enjoy. 'I Swear' by All-4-One."

With that the slow dance song began playing and everyone waited for the duo to begin before they did. Ikki backed up a bit and offered Stella his hand.

"May I have this dance?" Ikki politely asked.

Stella eagerly took his hand and he pulled her into his chest. She placed her hands on his shoulders and rested her head on his chest and Ikki gently held her waist. The two gently swayed to the music until the song came to an end.

For about another hour the couple stayed at the rink, receiving numerous congratulations, dancing whenever a slow song came on, and Stella showing off her ring whenever she got the chance. It wasn't the biggest or shiniest diamond, not by far, but Ikki had worked for it. He had wanted to give Stella a proper proposal and he worked countless nights, just so she could have it. That made her ring the most valuable diamond ring in the world to her.

Ikki spoke, gaining her attention and peaking her interest. "Oh, one thing I forgot to tell you is the ring is engraved. I thought you might like to know what it says."

Stella carefully removed the ring and inspected the interior. She once again began to cry when she read what it said. 'Stella, you are my everything. I will love you forever and always–Ikki'

She tackled him to the ice and began kissing him repeatedly. She didn't care if she was in public. All she cared about was showing Ikki how much she loved and appreciated him. Not long after Stella had tackled him, a clock somewhere in the vicinity struck twelve.

Ikki broke their kiss, despite it going against both of their desires as he suggested, "We should probably head home. It's been a long day and we could both use some sleep."

Stella was about to protest, but as soon as she opened her mouth a yawn escaped her. She decided not to fight Ikki or her own tiredness and the two returned their skates and departed.

When the couple finally retired to their sleeping quarters it was well past one. They got into bed and went through with their usual bedtime ritual. Stella scooted back until her back was pressed against Ikki's chest and he in turn wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

When the two were situated, they fell prey to slumber in no time flat. There was, however, one thing different about how they slept this time. Though it was minute and insignificant, it was different nevertheless. Stella usually held Ikki's hand against her, her left hand over her right. This time her right was over her left, and she was gently caressing her ring, a bright smile on her face as she slept.

Author's Note: So, before I become the bearer of bad news, I'd first like to again extend my gratitude to my obnoxious editor, Miss crimsonboop.

Now, that being said, I do have unfortunate news. After a lot of thinking, I've decided that I need to focus on my classes above all else, so this will be the last chapter I post in a monthly fashion. I can't say for certain what the future will hold for this fic, but what I can say is that I love this community and all of you, so I will not just abandon this. I will not abandon all of you beautiful people who have supported me so much. So, until the next time, stay you my friends and please, forgive me.


End file.
